Iran says no military solution to war as peace talks with US stall

Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has stated that there is no military solution to the conflict with the US. According to Araghchi, if Iran's enemies resort to military confrontation again, the country will respond more strongly than before and defend itself with greater force.

The conflict between the US and Iran appears to be at an impasse, with talks on ending the war stalled. The US had launched a campaign of heavy bombardment in late February, but has since scaled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.

The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas. A UK maritime agency has reported that another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the area. Araghchi emphasized that only negotiations based on justice and fairness could end the conflict, and that there is no solution based on new sanctions.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Free Malaysia Today, Punch, National Post, South China Morning Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.