Iran rejects new negotiation with US as war enters 11th day

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has ruled out any talks with President Donald Trump, as the US-Israeli war on Iran entered its 11th day, amid another assault on Gulf cities by Tehran.

Araghchi said on Tuesday that "talking or negotiating with Washington is no longer on the agenda" after a "very bitter experience" during previous rounds of nuclear talks in February.

Israel and the US kicked off the war with Iran by bombing the country as it engaged in indirect talks with Washington, mediated by Oman, on its nuclear programme, sparking a wave of strikes by Tehran on neighbouring countries and attacks on shipping in the Gulf.

In an interview with PBS News, Araghchi said: "They promised us that they don’t have any intention to attack us, and they wanted to resolve Iran’s nuclear question peacefully and find a negotiated solution."

"Still, they decided to attack us," he said. "I don't think the question of talking with the Americans, once again, would be on the table."

Araghchi also cited the 12-Day War launched by the US and Israel in June last year, which also took place days after a round of nuclear talks.

The US bombed multiple Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump justified, claiming that Tehran "rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions".

The top Iranian diplomat’s comments came as the US and Israeli-led war on Iran entered its 11th day, with strikes ongoing.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran, while earlier reports said that at least 40 people were killed in attacks near Tehran’s Risalat Square overnight, a busy area of the city.

The Israeli military said late on Monday that it was "carrying out broad strikes" across Tehran.

At least 1,255 people have been killed by the US-Israeli assault on Iran since 28 February, while 486 people have been killed in Lebanon, where the war has also spilt over.

Additionally, Araghchi said his country would keep fighting as long as necessary, casting doubt on Trump's insistence that the war would be over "soon".

"It's going to end soon, and if it starts up again, they'll be hit even harder," Trump told a news conference in Florida on Monday, after telling lawmakers that the campaign would be a "short-term excursion".

"We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough," he added.

However, in his interview with PBS News, Araghchi stressed that Iran remains "well prepared to continue attacking [the US] with our missiles as long as needed and as long as it takes".

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also responded to Trump that they would "determine the end of the war".

This comes after Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rejected the idea that an end to the war could come through negotiations with the US and Israel.

"We are definitely not looking for a ceasefire," the speaker wrote in a post on X. "We believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that it learns a lesson [and] will never think of attacking our beloved Iran again."

Ghalibaf said Iran wanted to break the cycle of "war-negotiation-ceasefire and then war again", a strategy it said Israel was using to "assert its hegemony".

On Monday, it was reported that China and Russia, two of Iran’s closest allies, had reached out to Tehran over a possible truce.

Gulf attacks continue, woman killed in Bahrain 

In the Arabian Peninsula, Iran’s attacks continued with rockets and drones aimed at Gulf cities.

At least one woman was killed in Bahrain after Iranian missiles struck a residential building in the capital, Manama, which also injured at least eight others.

The 29-year-old woman’s death was confirmed by the Ministry of Interior on Monday.

Also in the Gulf state, two people, including several children, were wounded in an Iranian drone attack on the island of Sitra, south of Manama.

At least three people have been killed in Bahrain since 28 February, with a handful of casualties also reported in the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman as a result of Iranian attacks on US interests and civilian infrastructure across the Arabian Peninsula.

Early on Tuesday, Iran reportedly fired drones towards Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The Saudi Defence Ministry said it has destroyed two drones over the kingdom’s oil-rich eastern region, while in Kuwait, the National Guard said it shot down six drones attacking the country’s northern and southern areas.

Separately on Tuesday, sirens were sounded in Dubai, with the UAE saying it successfully intercepted an Iranian missile.

The UK, a close ally of the UAE, confirmed it had operated over the Gulf state in a defensive counter-air role, aiding the Gulf state in its efforts to counter Iranian attacks.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, the Emirati consulate accused Iran of targeting the premises in a drone strike.

A foreign ministry statement said the attack "represents a dangerous escalation and a threat to regional security and stability", adding that "targeting diplomatic missions and premises constitutes a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws".