Araghchi recounts ‘negotiating under fear of death’ amid ninth night of US strikes

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country's negotiators held discussions with the United States while fearing they could be killed in an American airstrike at any moment, offering a rare insight into the psychological strain surrounding the diplomatic efforts as the conflict between Washington and Tehran intensifies.

In an interview with Iran's state-linked Mehr news agency, Araghchi said the Iranian delegation conducted talks under constant military pressure, insisting that the threat of force did not alter Tehran's negotiating position.

Recalling a conversation with Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Araghchi said he asked whether the American diplomat had ever negotiated while believing a meeting could be bombed without warning.

He said he questioned Witkoff about whether he had ever spoken to his family while wondering if it could be the last conversation of his life, adding that such fears were a daily reality for the Iranian delegation throughout the talks.

"We stood our ground. You have to talk. You can't threaten us, and you can't bribe us," Araghchi said, according to the interview.

The Iranian foreign minister said his contacts with Witkoff began during nuclear-related discussions last year and have continued intermittently through face-to-face meetings and direct messaging. However, he maintained that these exchanges should not be interpreted as formal negotiations.

The first indirect contacts reportedly took place in Muscat with Omani mediators relaying messages before the two officials briefly met in person. Subsequent discussions were held in Muscat, Rome and Geneva, while Araghchi also travelled to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow during another round of diplomatic engagements involving Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Pakistani authorities were reported to have facilitated parts of the process.

Araghchi also dismissed suggestions that military pressure could force Iran into submission, arguing that Washington fundamentally misunderstands Iran's political system.

"Iran is not Venezuela," he said, asserting that the country could not be destabilised by targeting a single leader and that diplomacy could not succeed under the threat of military action.

His remarks came as the military confrontation between the two countries entered its ninth consecutive night following the collapse of a month-old ceasefire agreement.

The United States launched fresh overnight strikes across several parts of Iran, saying the operation was aimed at degrading military capabilities allegedly used in attacks on commercial shipping and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Sirik, Jask, Mahshahr, Imam Khomeini, Khvormuj and Tabriz, while air defence systems were activated in Konarak and Chabahar. Reports indicated that a nuclear site under construction was also among the locations hit.

According to Iranian media, the latest attacks again focused on the country's southern coastline, although explosions near Tabriz in northwestern Iran would represent one of the first reported strikes in that region since the current escalation began.

Al Jazeera reported that the latest US offensive followed the announcement that another American service member had died, with the US military saying the soldier was killed during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone in Iraq. President Donald Trump said the latest strikes had been carried out in honour of the American troops killed in recent days.

The US Central Command said its latest operation targeted Iranian military command centres, air defence systems, coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone launch sites, maritime capabilities and communications networks.

Meanwhile, Iran continued retaliatory attacks across the region. Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait activated air defences after detecting incoming Iranian drones and missiles, while Israel warned that missiles launched towards Jordan could pose a risk to its territory.

The continuing exchanges have also heightened concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest energy shipping routes. Shipping traffic has slowed significantly amid rising tensions, while Brent crude climbed above 90 dollars a barrel, adding to concerns over global energy supplies.

The conflict has increasingly targeted infrastructure on both sides, fuelling fears that diplomatic efforts have been overtaken by an expanding regional military confrontation with no immediate signs of de-escalation.

With agency inputs