TEHRAN -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday made clear that Iran is not seeking another temporary pause in fighting, insisting that the objective is a “definitive end to the war” and an arrangement that prevents the aggression from being repeated.

“We were not seeking a ‘ceasefire’ in the recent war, but rather a ‘definitive end to the war,’” Araghchi said in a video interview reviewing the performance of Iran’s diplomatic apparatus during the 40-day war.

He explained the reasoning behind Tehran’s position bluntly: “We believe that a temporary ceasefire only reproduces the pattern of repeated conflicts.”

The statement represents one of the clearest descriptions yet of Iran’s position on any diplomatic process following the latest war. For Tehran, simply stopping military operations for a limited period does not constitute peace. The concern is that a temporary arrangement could merely provide an interval before the next round of fighting.

Araghchi also described the evolution of negotiations with Washington during the war, portraying the process as a shift from confrontation and maximalist demands toward diplomacy.

According to the foreign minister, the United States initially entered the confrontation with a “15-point surrender document.” But, he said, Washington eventually changed course after exhausting its pressure tactics.

The United States, Araghchi said, was ultimately compelled to negotiate over a “14-point memorandum of understanding.” 

The foreign minister also pointed to the military consequences of the war, stating that it exposed serious vulnerabilities surrounding the network of U.S. military bases in the region.

“The recent wars showed that countries that did not have U.S. military bases suffered less damage,” Araghchi said.

He said that foreign military installations have failed to provide the security their presence was intended to guarantee and had themselves become vulnerable during the fighting.

In Tehran’s assessment, this experience demonstrates the need for a fundamentally different regional security architecture.

Araghchi said a “new security approach in the region” should be based on “collective security” and on addressing economic imbalances. Without broad cooperation among regional states, he said, lasting peace in the Persian Gulf will remain unattainable.

The war also highlighted the importance of regional diplomacy. Araghchi credited Qatar and Pakistan with playing an effective mediating role between Iran and Washington.

He said the two countries helped facilitate communication during the war and described relations between Tehran and Doha as currently being at a “very favorable stage.”

Araghchi also praised President Masoud Pezeshkian’s role in the diplomatic process, saying the president provided the Foreign Ministry with “operational independence” while insisting that national interests remain at the center of negotiations.

According to the foreign minister, Pezeshkian personally followed the talks and participated in committee meetings to ensure that the negotiations remained on the course he considered necessary.

He also described Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s participation in the negotiations as essential, saying the president had insisted on Ghalibaf’s presence before agreeing to the talks.

Araghchi praised Ghalibaf’s conduct during negotiations and described the president, the parliament speaker and the Foreign Ministry as a “strategic triangle” for overcoming obstacles and achieving practical diplomatic results.