Iran warns of readiness for war and economic costs as US talks falter

Tehran, Iran – Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran remains ready to resume direct military conflict with the United States, if negotiations fail to produce acceptable results. In a stream of state-orchestrated messaging to both domestic and foreign audiences, Araghchi also warned that despite the damage the US-Israel war on Iran has done to the region, it is also impacting ordinary American households. US energy and inflation costs have increased significantly since the conflict began on February 28, resulting in the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally shipped. “Americans are told that they must absorb rocketing costs of war of choice on Iran,” Araghchi wrote on X, coupled with an image of rising yields on US Treasury bonds. “Put aside gas price hike and stock market bubble, real pain begins when US debt and mortgage rates start to jump. Auto loan delinquencies are already at 30+-year high.” Inflation in the US Araghchi’s message to people in the US was essentially that inflation in the US will continue so long as the threat of war is maintained, predicting that the pressure will soon translate into higher borrowing costs, leading to a potential recession. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker who led the first round of talks with the US in April, also highlighted the financial cost of the war for Americans, albeit with a more mocking tone. …