Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Iran “never asked” for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States.
Araghchi denied President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran wanted a deal to end the conflict, but he rejected it. The foreign minister accused Trump of engaging in this conflict because he “wants to have fun,” and Iran will continue its “self-defense.”
“We are only defending our people from this act of aggression, and we don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time,” Araghchi said on CBS News’ Face the Nation. “There is no good experience talking with Americans.
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“We were talking, so why they decided to attack us? So what is good if we go back to talk once again?” Araghchi said.
Araghchi joined the interview via Zoom, prompting CBS News host Margaret Brennan to ask why he has access to the internet while the Iranian people don’t. He said this is “because I’m the voice of Iranians,” and the internet is shut down for security reasons as he seeks to “defend” the Iranian people.
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Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the increase in gas prices will continue for “a few more weeks” due to the Iran conflict and the Iranian regime’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. He said this increase is “a short-term disruption in the flow of energy,” but that the U.S. will ultimately “have removed the greatest risk to global energy supplies.”
The U.S. national average price of gasoline is $3.69 per gallon. The average price last week was at $3.45, and last month’s average was at $2.93, according to the American Automobile Association.