Iranian officials said this weekend that Tehran is prepared for a possible return to large-scale fighting with the United States, including what Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described as a “doomsday war,” after talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly produced no agreement. At the same time, Iranian leaders repeated that they remain open to a negotiated settlement.
Iran’s UN delegation repeatedly called for a return to the June memorandum of understanding, which saw a brief pause in fighting, a lifting of the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and an agreement to allow free navigation through the vital waterway. The agreement collapsed in a matter of weeks after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fired upon commercial vessels in the strait.
During UN General Assembly week, President Donald Trump addressed the assembly on September 22 and said he faced a choice between a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild or moving quickly to “annihilate the Islamic Republic.” The following day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the same body that Iran would not “bow our head or bend at the knee” and would not accept limits on its civilian nuclear program.
He added that Iran was “ready for dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations without accepting the language of force.” Iranian and U.S. officials held lengthy indirect talks mediated by Qatar, involving Araghchi and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. No breakthrough was announced, however.
After those meetings, Iran presented a seven-day roadmap through Qatari mediators. Under the plan, the United States would lift the naval blockade, waive certain oil sanctions, release frozen Iranian assets, and observe a broader regional pause in fighting.
Iran would then reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks on its nuclear program. Trump formally rejected the proposal on Saturday, telling reporters that Iran wanted an immediate reopening of the strait “because they’re losing so badly” and that the terms “would not be acceptable.”
The president added that he was still open to making a deal, but not that proposal.
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Abbas Araghchi on President Trump’s Comments to Wipe Out Iran:
“We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a Doomsday War
We have learned from the two previous wars and have changed our tactics” pic.twitter.com/WTLsbf7Qkx
— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) September 27, 2026
On Sunday, Araghchi appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press and addressed reports that the United States might resume strikes after the November midterm elections. “We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed,” he said. “We stand firm in the face of any aggression against us, even if it comes to a doomsday war.”
He added that Iran was “ready to negotiate as much as we are ready to face any challenge” and that he continued to pursue diplomacy “because I think we shouldn’t miss any chance for peace.” The choice, the secretary said, rested with Trump.
Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia separately said Iranian forces were “more prepared than ever before” and warned that another attack would produce greater regional instability. Earlier in the week, Revolutionary Guard officials had spoken of new weapons, new targets, and a possible geographic expansion of fighting if hostilities intensified.
While speaking with reporters outside Air Force One on Sunday, Trump told Axios that he expected more talks this week. “They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make,” he said. “They overplayed their hand.” Asked about possible renewed military action, he said he was “always thinking about it.”