With US President Donald Trump giving a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday said that the negotiations with the United States have ended, calling the situation a ‘bitter experience’ and a ‘betrayal’. The recent conflict, he said, has ended the diplomatic space between the US and Iran.
The Iranian foreign minister made the remarks in a short video message on X (previously Twitter). Pointing out that the trust between the sides is ‘completely nonexistent’, Araghchi said that the conflict in the Middle East has “closed the doors of diplomacy forever”.ย
“The negotiations with the Americans are over forever… a bitter experience and betrayal after promises of no attack!” Araghchi said. “There is no longer any room for dialogue with the Americans. They deceived us with promises of no attack, and even after achieving noticeable progress in the negotiations, they decided to attack us anyway.”
Trump’s ultimatum and Iran’s response
Though the war between the US, Israel and Iran has entered its fourth week, it is unlikely to end anytime soon. All the three sides have continued to target each other’s critical infrastructure and bases in the region, and warned to intensify their attacks.
The situation is particularly critical over the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump on Sunday warning that Iran must reopen the crucial transit point within 48 hours. Iran has said that the Strait remains closed only for its enemies, adding that it is ready to work with regional powers to enhance the maritime security.ย
But Iran has warned that it will completely close the Strait if its power plants are targeted. On Monday, Iranian media also showed infographics of potential targets in Israel, including Orot Rabin and Rutenberg, which are the two power plants there, hinting that it will also target energy infrastructure in retaliation.ย ย
“In the event of the slightest attack on the electricity infrastructure of the Islamic republic, the entire region will be plunged into darkness,” the graphic by Iran’s Mehr news agency stated, as reported by AFP.
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