Sahin Demir
24 July 2026•Update: 24 July 2026
Iran will not accept a temporary ceasefire and will continue its current course until its demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz are met, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, Araghchi said Iran would not discuss a temporary truce “unless our demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz are fulfilled,” according to Iranian media.
He said consultations with Russia and China were ongoing, adding that he held detailed talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the meeting.
Araghchi also said Pakistan had conveyed proposals as a mediator but argued that Tehran’s dispute with Washington was “not about mediation but about the US approach.”
He reiterated that Iran would not yield to “pressure, threats or bullying” and would continue pursuing what he described as the country’s principles, including protecting the Iranian people and Iran’s interests in the Strait of Hormuz.
“As long as the legitimate goals and demands of the Iranian people are not achieved, it is natural that we will continue our course,” he said.
He also said many SCO foreign ministers had praised Iran’s response to the US and Israel, arguing that Tehran had demonstrated it was possible to stand up to major powers.
Regional tensions have escalated over the past two weeks after US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire outlined in the Islamabad MoU was no longer in effect.
Since then, the US and Iran have exchanged strikes, with Washington targeting sites inside Iran, while Tehran says it has attacked US military facilities and equipment across several countries in the region.
