Who Decides Whether Iran Goes To War With The US? FM Araghchi Reveals Who Has The Final Say
Who Decides Whether Iran Goes To War With The US? FM Araghchi Reveals Who Has The Final Say Written By, Last Updated: July 19, 2026
Who Decides Whether Iran Goes To War With The US? FM Araghchi Reveals Who Has The Final Say Written By, Last Updated: July 19, 2026, 16:47 IST Iran says the ceasefire deal with United States under the Islamabad MoU is over as conflict escalates in West Asia. Iran's FM Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart following a meeting in Baghdad on June 28. (AFP photo) Iran on Saturday declared that the ceasefire with the United States under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is over, amid the continuing conflict between the two countries in West Asia. The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump last week. A day later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the final decision on whether Iran goes to war or agrees to a ceasefire rests with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Speaking on Sunday, Araghchi said the Supreme Security Council is responsible for analysing the situation regarding war or a ceasefire, but the ultimate decision lies with the Supreme Leader. “The Supreme Security Council is responsible for assessing the situation regarding war or a ceasefire, but the final decision rests with the Supreme Leader," Araghchi told Tehran Times. He added that members of the council provide assessments related to their respective areas before a decision is taken.
According to Araghchi, the meeting of the Supreme Security Council to approve the memorandum of understanding with the United States lasted from 9 pm until 3 am. He also said the initial ceasefire was accepted in smaller meetings outside the Supreme Security Council because it was not possible to convene the full body at the time. The ceasefire, he said, was accepted on the condition that negotiations would be based on Iran’s 10 proposed points. FM @araghchi: The initial ceasefire with the United States was accepted in smaller meetings outside the Supreme Security Council.– The responsibility for analyzing the situation regarding war or a ceasefire lies with the Supreme Security Council, while the… pic.twitter.com/nHMBLLmbsf — Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) July 19, 2026 Why Iran resumed talks Araghchi, who has faced criticism from rival political factions following the temporary understanding with Washington, said Tehran agreed to restart negotiations after the United States again demanded zero uranium enrichment and threatened military action. “The decision was made to restart negotiations to make clear that Iran had exhausted diplomatic options," he said. In the same interview with a YouTube channel, Araghchi also revealed that he had never met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in person. “Only a handful of people have met him," Araghchi said. Khamenei accuses US of violating MoU Hours after Tehran suspended its commitments under the interim agreement with the United States, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei accused Washington of repeatedly violating the ceasefire Memorandum of Understanding.
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