Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that his country is ready for a ground invasion by American troops as thewar launched by the United States and Israelhas quickly spread across the region. He also refused any negotiations with the U.S. and said that Iran had not asked for a ceasefire.
Araghchi spoke with “NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Llamas in a video interview from Tehran as U.S. and Israeli airstrikes continue to hit the country.
Watch “NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas” tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT. and read updates on this story at NBCNews.com.
His comments came after the U.S. and Israeli militaries began a sweeping attack on Iran on Saturday, which decimated its military defenses and killed its top authority,Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Asked if he was afraid of a possible U.S. ground invasion, Araghchi struck a defiant tone.
"No, we are waiting for them," he said and added, "Because we are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them."
Araghchi also said that Iran has not asked for a ceasefire, despite U.S. and Israeli strikes across the country.
"We didn’t ask for a ceasefire even last time. In previous time, it was Israel who asked for a ceasefire. They asked for an unconditional ceasefire after 12 days that we resisted against their aggression," he said, referring to the12-day war last Junewhen the Israeli and U.S. militaries targeted Iran's nuclear facilities.
Llamas asked about anattack on an elementary schoolin Minab that has killed dozens of schoolchildren, which the U.S. military said is being investigated, and questioned whether it could have been an errant Iranian military munition.
Araghchi said that 171 children were killed in the attack and that the American and Israeli militaries were responsible.
Source: Drudge Report
