Iran’s Ambassador to China Abolreza Rahmani Fazli gave an extensive interview to China’s Observer Network this week, offering Tehran’s public accounting of the war and its diplomatic consequences.
On the question of future negotiations, Fazli was categorical: “We will never trust the United States again, and we will not and will not seek to negotiate with the United States now and in the future.” He cited three successive American betrayals: the unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, the Israeli strikes that aborted a near-complete agreement during last year’s 12-day war, and the current offensive, which he said came the day after Oman’s foreign minister publicly predicted a deal was imminent. “The Americans did not intend to negotiate from the beginning,” Fazli said. “For them, negotiation and dialogue are just a scam and a big lie.”
Fazli said the Iranian people have responded to the war—and to the killing of Supreme Leader Khamenei—with a resolve that has surprised Washington. “Trump declared that he could make Iran surrender in a day or two,” he said. “Now is the seventh day, and we are defending with all our strength.” He described crowds gathering daily in city squares to mourn Khamenei for 40 days, with two chants: “Fight until Victory” and “Revenge.”
