Foreign Minister: Iran rejects US demand for unconditional surrender

Washington — Iran has rejected the United States’ demand for unconditional surrender and said it would continue to defend itself for as long as necessary, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, 8 March. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would not sign any agreement with Iran and would accept nothing but ‘unconditional surrender’. ‘We have never surrendered. We will not surrender unconditionally, and we will continue to fight for as long as necessary,’ Araghchi told NBC News. ‘We will continue to defend ourselves and protect our territory, our people, and our dignity. Our dignity is not for sale,’ Araghchi said. Araghchi added that Iran views it as too early to discuss ceasefire terms with the U.S. at this stage. ‘There must be a permanent end to the war. And until that is achieved, I think we need to keep fighting for our people and our security,’ he said. Source: Sputnik/RIA Novosti-OANA