'The United States Must Be Held Accountable': Iran Rejects Cease-Fire Talks as War Rages On

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Mar 18, 2026 5:36 PM CUT

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a news conference in Tehran, Iran, on March 16, 2026.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a news conference in Tehran, Iran, on March 16, 2026.Shadati—Getty Images

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Mar 18, 2026 5:36 PM CUT

Iran has doubled down on its rejection of cease-fire talks, insisting that the United States is “responsible” for the war and its far-reaching impact. 

"This war is not our war. We did not start it. The United States started it and is responsible for all the consequences of this war, human and financial, whether for Iran, for the region, or for the entire world,” said Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. “The United States must be held accountable." 

Araghchi firmly denied U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran is ready to negotiate a cease-fire to end the war that is now in its 19th day.

“We are not seeking a cease-fire because we do not want this scenario to be repeated again after some time. Rather, we want the war to end completely and permanently,” said Araghchi, insisting that the U.S. must “put an end to its aggression.”

The Foreign Minister’s sit-down interview on Wednesday landed after Iran confirmed that top security official Ali Larijani, a close associate of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had been killed in Israeli strikes in the early hours of Tuesday.

Dismissing the impact of targeted assassinations on senior officials, Araghchi said the U.S. and Israel fail to understand the “strong political structure” of Iran. 

“We have not had anyone more important than the leader himself, and even the leader was martyred, yet the system continued its work and immediately provided a replacement,” he said, referring to the Feb. 28 killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has since been replaced by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. 

In addition to Larijani, Israel also killed Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij force—a plain-clothes militia unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps—early Tuesday. The IDF has since announced that Esmaeil Khatib, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, was targeted and killed in Tehran overnight. Iranian state television confirmed the killing.

The Iranian military has vowed to avenge the death of Larijani and others.

Following the confirmation of Larijani’s killing, Iran launched strikes at Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. They also launched retaliatory strikes at Tel Aviv, killing at least two people, according to Israeli media.

Marking a significant escalation in the war, Iran’s offshore South Pars gas field, which it shares with Qatar across the Gulf, was struck on Wednesday. A spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the incident.

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Iranian naval officer Alireza Tangsiri responded by issuing a warning to oil facilities ”associated with America,” suggesting they will come under fire and warning “citizens and workers” to stay away.

The targeting of oil tankers and facilities has brought the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which around a fifth of global oil production flows, to a halt. As a result, international trade has been severely disrupted, with oil and fuel prices soaring.

“Naturally we will not allow our enemies to use this waterway,” said Araghchi, when asked if Iran is trying to “suffocate” the economy.

“At the same time, a war is taking place around it. And naturally many ships and countries may not want to use this route due to insecurity. Some countries contact us to discuss safe passage, and we try to provide them with the conditions of such passage," he said.

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Araghchi added that he believes the first step “after the war” should entail “drafting a new protocol for the Strait of Hormuz” and that safe passage should be guaranteed “under specific conditions.”

Trump, over the weekend, requested the assistance of other nations and NATO allies to secure the Strait, but he was met with resistance. 

“I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” the President said Tuesday, denouncing the reluctance from other countries to get involved.