Iran Closes Diplomatic Door, Prepares for Prolonged War
Iranian officials have stated that they are ruling out the possibility of diplomacy and that Teheran is prepared to face a prolonged war with Washington whilst continuing to attack Gulf states to pressure them to push United States President Donald Trump to withdraw from the conflict. This statement was made by Kamal Kharazi, foreign policy advisor at the office of Iran’s supreme leader, in an interview with CNN on Monday evening (9 March 2026), local time.
Kharazi warned that diplomacy is currently not an option and that war can only end if economic pressure compels other nations to intervene.
“I do not see room for diplomacy any longer, because Donald Trump has deceived the other party and broken his promises, and we experienced this over two rounds of negotiations; whilst we were engaged in talks, they attacked us instead,” Kharazi stated.
He added that there is no room for negotiations unless economic pressure is increased in such a manner that other nations will intervene to guarantee an end to American and Israeli aggression against Iran. Kharazi also suggested that Arab Gulf states and other parties should pressure Washington to end the conflict.
“This war has created considerable pressure, economic pressure, on others, in terms of inflation and energy shortages; and if this continues, then that pressure will increase further, so others will have no choice but to intervene,” he said.
When asked whether Iran’s military and leadership remained united, Kharazi responded that they remain solid.
“The responsibility of the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to lead Iran’s defence capability and as Ayatollah Khamenei has done, the new leader will also do so,” he asserted.
The interview emerged as regional escalation has intensified since Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran on 28 February. That attack killed over 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran subsequently responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting American military assets.
Iran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The Strait of Hormuz handles approximately 20 million barrels of oil shipments daily and around 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas trade, much of which is destined for Asian markets.