‘Diplomacy Can’t Achieve What War Failed To’: Iran Rejects ‘Coercive’ US Terms

Iranian Embassy in Japan on Sunday highlighted that Iran cannot secure through diplomacy what failed through military aggression.

Iran further said that the "best and final offer"' that US Vice President JD Vance raised cannot be seen as a unilateral mandate.

"A couple of points on the latest in Islamabad: You cannot secure through diplomacy what you failed to gain through military aggression; The assertion of a 'best and final offer' that JD Vance raised in his press conference is inherently reciprocal; it cannot be a unilateral mandate or a weapon to be used by one side," the Embassy said in a post on X.

Iran pointed out that Vance's statement that "they have chosen not to accept our terms," is coercive logic.

"JD Vance's statement that 'they have chosen not to accept our terms,' which attempts to force the other party to accept demands they successfully resisted on the battlefield, is coercive logic; It should be noted that throughout this process, the provocations were initiated by the other side, not by Iran," the Embassy continued.

Why did Iran say JD Vance’s remarks need “critical scrutiny” in US-Iran talks?

The embassy said that Vance's remarks call for critical scrutiny.

"JD Vance's remark regarding an outcome 'that is bad news for Iran' warrants critical scrutiny. Regardless, credit is due to the brotherly nation of Pakistan for its sincere role in hosting and facilitating these negotiations,” the Embassy said.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command said that two of its ships have begun setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and the claim was denied immediately by Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

CENTCOM said that USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Iranian military's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters swiftly denied the US statement, as reported by Al Jazeera.

"The claim by the CENTCOM commander regarding the approach and entry of American vessels into the Strait of Hormuz is strongly denied," Al Jazeera quoted the spokesperson as saying. "The initiative for the passage and movement of any vessel is in the hands of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

(With inputs from ANI)