Iran: 10 Percent Chance of Peace Still Worth Pursuing

Istanbul (ANTARA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country continues to pursue the path of negotiation before war, despite predicting only a 10 percent chance of reaching a peaceful settlement. According to Araghchi, negotiations are being conducted to find a way to meet Iran’s demands while avoiding armed conflict. “Negotiations have several objectives. One of them is the possibility of finding a way through talks to achieve our demands, and we must not waste that opportunity,” Araghchi said in an interview published on Sunday (19/7). He stated that Iran still considers negotiations a worthwhile endeavour even if the likelihood of success is very small. “We say that even if there is only a 10 percent chance of achieving an outcome other than war through negotiations, we should seize that opportunity,” Araghchi said. Tensions in the region escalated after the United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran in February. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting several Gulf states where US military assets are stationed. Iran and the US had previously reached a memorandum of understanding mediated by Pakistan to end the conflict and pave the way for a peace agreement. However, tensions flared again due to a dispute in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering mutual attacks between the two countries.