Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" on March 15, 2026, rejecting calls for a cease-fire or direct negotiations with the U.S.
Araghchi called the current conflict a "war of choice" by the Trump administration, asserting Iran is engaged solely in self-defense. He accused the U.S. of using Gulf allies' territory-including UAE and Kuwait-to launch attacks against Iranian soil.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi confirmed Iran has allowed select non-U.S., non-Israeli commercial vessels safe passage-citing insecurity caused by American military operations, not Iranian closure.
Regarding nuclear material, he confirmed the IAEA-verified stockpile of ~440kg of 60% enriched uranium remains buried beneath damaged facilities. Iran has no current plan to retrieve or dilute it, though Araghchi referenced a prior offer-made before U.S. strikes-to down-blend the material as proof of peaceful intent.
When asked about detained Americans at Evin Prison, Araghchi conditioned their safety on the U.S. and Israel refraining from attacking Iranian prisons.