Iran's FM says Tehran not seeking ceasefire, 'confident' it could counter a U.S. ground invasion

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that his country is ready for a ground invasion by American troops amid the ongoing war, NBC News reports.

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.

Asked if he was afraid of a possible U.S. ground invasion, Araghchi said:

"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 the 12-day war last June.

Last Thursday, Araghchi was negotiating a possible deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Geneva.

The attack while the negotiations were ongoing has soured Iran on any future talks, Araghchi said, adding that he has had no communication with Witkoff or Kushner since last week.

"The fact is that we don’t have any positive experience of negotiating with the United States. You know, especially with this administration. We negotiated twice last year and this year, and then in the middle of negotiations, they attacked us," Araghchi said.

He added, "So we see no reason why we should engage once again with those who have, who are not honest in negotiation, and they don’t and do not enter into negotiation in good faith."

"There is no winner in this war," he said. "Our win is to be able to resist against, you know, the illegal, you know, goals, and this is what we have done so far."

Araghchi said that there was a constitutional process in place to determine succession of power after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"There are many rumors around, but you know, we have to wait for the Assembly of Experts to choose a new supreme leader," Araghchi said, when asked about reports that Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei could be named the new Supreme Leader. The Iranian FM said that the process could take longer because of the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that U.S. firepower over Iran will 'surge dramatically.' He said that the campaign, called by the U.S. Operation Epic Fury, "is advancing decisively."

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posing a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East.