'We won the war, won diplomacy': Araghchi says Iran pushed US war so it could control ceasefire

Iran deliberately prolonged the war with the United States to achieve a ceasefire on its own terms, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Speaking at a conference with Iranian educators on Tuesday, Araghchi asserted that Iran refused an initial ceasefire offer and continued fighting until the US agreed to negotiations under Iranian conditions.

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We were the ones who refused the ceasefire and continued the war until we reached a point where they [the US] agreed to a ceasefire and negotiations on Iran's terms.

"We fought with strength and negotiated with strength, and we won the war, and we won the diplomacy," Araghchi declared. He emphasized the Iranian people's resilience against what he described as the "largest military in the world," supported by numerous Western and regional countries. Araghchi added that those who initially sought Iran's unconditional surrender were ultimately compelled to seek negotiations shortly after the conflict began.

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We fought with strength and negotiated with strength, and we won the war, and we won the diplomacy.

These statements come shortly after US President Donald Trump urged Iran to raise a "white flag of surrender" and stated he was in "no hurry" to make a deal. Trump described Iranians as "good poker players, but they're dying." He also issued a stark warning to Oman, threatening to "bomb the s*** out of them" if the country interfered with US control in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump downplayed the scale of US munitions used against Iran thus far, calling them "peanuts."

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The Iranian people stood against what was supposedly the largest military in the world, which was supported and assisted by most Western countries and by several other countries in the region and beyond.