Iran sends Trump chilling ultimatum as Tehran warns of 'doomsday war'

TEHRAN, IRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has delivered a stark warning to President Donald Trump, saying Tehran is prepared for another military confrontation with Washington and would remain in the fight even if it escalated into what he called a “doomsday war.”

In an interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press', Araghchi struck a dual-track position on the conflict and indicated willingness to confront fresh tensions.

The interview aired on Sunday, September 27.

Iran 'fully prepared' to fight

Abbas Araghchi, while speaking on NBC, said Iran was still willing to negotiate, but insisted that Tehran was equally prepared to respond if the United States resumed military action.

“We are ready for diplomacy. We are ready for war at the same time,” Araghchi said.

His remarks came after Trump rejected an Iranian seven-day proposal intended to establish conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting negotiations.

Trump has called the proposal unacceptable, while US officials have argued that Washington has little reason to accept Tehran's terms under the current circumstances.

Asked whether Iran was preparing for the conflict to resume, Araghchi gave an unequivocal answer.

“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed,” he said.

He then escalated the warning, saying Iran would stand against another attack “even if it comes to a doomsday war.”

Araghchi claimed Tehran had changed its military approach after two previous confrontations with the United States.

“We have learned our lesson from the two previous wars, and we have corrected our tactics,” he said.

At the same time, the Iranian foreign minister said military confrontation was not the only option available.

According to Araghchi, Tehran still sees diplomacy as a possible route out of the crisis, but he questioned why Iran should return to negotiations with the current administration after what he described as repeated breakdowns in previous talks.

He pointed to negotiations in 2025 and again in 2026, alleging that the United States attacked Iran during or after diplomatic engagements.

He also accused Washington of violating a subsequent agreement.

Iran refuses to trust Trump

The NBC interview also put Araghchi's confidence in Trump directly under scrutiny.

Asked whether he trusted the US president, the Iranian foreign minister did not offer a personal endorsement.

“We trust ourselves,” he said.

He argued that Iran had already experienced what he considers failed diplomatic commitments and therefore could not simply assume that another agreement would hold.

Still, Araghchi insisted that Tehran was not closing the door to negotiations.

Araghchi said Iran is prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington takes several steps first. 

He said Tehran wants the conflict to end, frozen Iranian assets released and the ability to resume oil sales.

Under the proposal as described by Araghchi, Iran would take steps toward reopening the waterway before negotiations resumed.

Trump, however, has already rejected the proposal.

On Saturday, he said he would like to reach a deal but described Iran's offer as unacceptable.

He also argued that Tehran was seeking to reopen the waterway because of the economic pressure caused by the disruption.