Iran Rejects Choice Between Negotiations and War, Says Diplomacy and Defense Align

Iran's Foreign Ministry has pushed back against the narrative that the country must choose between negotiations and war. Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that "diplomacy and defense serve the same national interests," rejecting the binary framing as unhelpful for Iran.

"Insisting on the binary choice of negotiations or war is not useful for Iran. Diplomacy does not negate defense, and defense is not incompatible with diplomacy," Baghaei said.

He also noted that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi are working toward the same goal of safeguarding Iran's interests, using diplomacy, defense, or both simultaneously.