Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony, held in Tehran on Tuesday to unveil annual reports on human rights violations in the United States and Britain, Kazem Gharibabadi said communications and exchanges of messages through mediators are ongoing, with Iran’s seven-day proposal serving as the basis for resolving outstanding issues through Qatar’s mediation.

He said the current interactions are taking place around the same proposal and that Tehran has received responses. If Iran’s requirements are met, the two sides could reach a diplomatic understanding, he added.

Gharibabadi stressed that Iran has neither sought nor started the war, which he said had been imposed on the country. If Washington claims to be pursuing a diplomatic solution, it must abide by the conditions Iran has clearly set out, he said.

Referring to the incidents reported on Qeshm Island on Monday night, the deputy foreign minister said Iran remains in a state of war and considers the aggression against it to be ongoing. He described this as an important legal point, emphasizing that Iran retains its right to legitimate self-defense until the military aggression has been brought to a complete and permanent end.

Reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to diplomatic negotiations, Gharibabadi said this approach is pursued with full awareness of the lack of trust in the US. “Iran is prepared for any scenario,” he said, warning that if Washington chooses to pursue another course, Iran will respond resolutely in defense of itself.

On the US mid-term election, the deputy foreign minister said Iran does not tie its foreign policy to elections in other countries. The US election is an internal matter for Washington, he said, stressing that Tehran is neither waiting for the outcome nor adjusting its policies accordingly.