Iran FM says end of war must include guarantees against future attacks

2026-03-20 - 15:10

TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his British counterpart that any end to the ongoing war with the United States and Israel must include guarantees to prevent future attacks, according to Iranian state media.Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the official IRNA news agency reported Friday.“The path to normalizing conditions is the cessation of these attacks. The cessation of war must be accompanied by guarantees to prevent the recurrence of such aggressions,” Araghchi said.He warned against any support for the US and Israel during the escalation, saying such actions would only worsen the situation and complicate conditions further.Araghchi also called on the UK to refrain from cooperation with Washington and Tel Aviv “in military or media arenas,” criticizing Britain’s provision of military bases to the US and describing it as participation in the conflict.“These actions will certainly be considered participation in the aggression and will be recorded in the history of bilateral relations,” he said.He reiterated Iran’s position that it reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and independence, while criticizing what he described as the stance of the UK and some European countries, saying Iran was attacked while engaged in diplomatic efforts.Araghchi also condemned an attack on the South Pars facilities and expressed concern over what he described as a lack of international condemnation.For her part, Cooper called for an end to the war and a reduction in regional tensions, while expressing concern about the broader political and economic consequences of the conflict, including rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.