Iran sought talks even with 10% chance of avoiding war, says FM

Iran engaged in diplomatic efforts before the outbreak of hostilities because even a slim chance of avoiding war was worth pursuing, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said. In an interview published Sunday, Araghchi explained that Tehran had assessed the potential for a diplomatic breakthrough as low as 10%, but still considered it a sufficient incentive to explore negotiations.

Exhausting All Options

"The negotiations had several objectives. One was that we might find a way through negotiations to achieve our demands, and we should not miss that opportunity," Araghchi said. He added that Tehran wanted to make its position clear to the enemy, the international community and the Iranian people that it had "tried every possible avenue" before the conflict escalated.

Failed Memorandum and Escalation

Regional tensions escalated after the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran in February, with Tehran retaliating with drone and missile strikes on Gulf nations hosting US assets. Washington and Tehran reached a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding last month, but the agreement collapsed last week over the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides resuming attacks.