As Trump mulls Middle East exit, Iran says ‘prepared for 6 months of war’

Why it matters

Iran is prepared to continue the war for “at least six months”, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Key takeaways

• However, Iran has not ruled out indirect negotiation channels via friendly nations.
• Trump and US government officials have repeatedly claimed negotiations are underway and that Iran is “begging for a deal”.
• Trump earlier suggested Washington is considering ending its military involvement in the region within two to three weeks, irrespective of whether a deal was cracked with Tehran or not.
• Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country has “the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met, especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression”.