Iran deputy FM says Tehran ready for both diplomacy and war

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, said in an interview with the Qatari television channel Al Araby that Tehran is prepared for both diplomacy and war, according to Mehr News Agency.

Gharibabadi said Iran would continue taking part in talks with Washington while maintaining its readiness to defend the country under any scenario. He stated that the United States had violated its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, despite Iran's continued engagement in the negotiations.

The deputy foreign minister's remarks set out Tehran's position on two tracks at once: keeping the negotiating channel with the United States open and preserving the capacity to respond if the situation escalates. He did not give further details on the state of the talks or on what specific commitments he said had been breached.

Mehr News Agency reported that the comments were made during the interview with Al Araby television. The report did not specify when the interview took place or provide additional context on the negotiations or on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

According to Mehr News Agency, Gharibabadi's statements reflect Iran's stated approach of pursuing diplomacy while preparing for other contingencies.