Iran signals prolonged war with US, rules out diplomacy

2026-03-10 - 08:33

Kamal Kharazi, a foreign policy adviser to Iran's supreme leader, has firmly rejected the possibility of diplomatic engagement with the United States, indicating Tehran is prepared for an extended military confrontation. In an interview with CNN late Monday, Kharazi stated that past experiences have shown negotiations with the Trump administration to be unreliable. "I don't see any room for diplomacy anymore. Because Donald Trump had been deceiving others and not keeping with his promises, and we experienced this in two times of negotiations — that while we were engaged in negotiation, they struck us," Kharazi told the American network. Kharazi calls on Gulf states to intervene The Iranian official suggested that Gulf Arab countries and other nations should apply pressure on Washington to bring an end to the conflict. He argued that the ongoing war is already generating significant economic strain across the region, manifesting in rising inflation and energy shortages that will only worsen if hostilities continue. "This war has been producing a lot of pressure — economic pressure — on others, in terms of inflation, in terms of lack of energy, and so if it will be continued, this pressure will be built up more, and therefore others have no choice (but) to intervene," he explained. Leadership unity affirmed When questioned about the cohesion of Iran's military and political leadership following recent strikes that reportedly killed senior figures including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Kharazi insisted that unity remains intact. He confirmed that the new leadership continues to direct the country's defense capabilities as before. Regarding recent statements from Trump rejecting the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as his father's successor, Kharazi dismissed the comments, asserting simply, "That is not his business." Wider regional impact The interview comes as regional tensions have dramatically escalated since Feb. 28, when joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran reportedly resulted in more than 1,200 casualties. Tehran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting American military assets. Iran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway normally handling approximately 20 million barrels of daily oil shipments and about 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade. The disruption is forcing exporters to seek alternative routes while cutting off significant exports of fertilizer components, creating ripple effects expected to increase pressure on global food supply chains and contribute to higher food prices worldwide.