RABAT, August 18. /TASS/. Iran wants a permanent end to fighting in the Persian Gulf region, not just a temporary ceasefire, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

"Iran has conveyed to the mediators [in the indirect talks with the United States] that Tehran rejects a ceasefire. We must put an end to this war so that it never ignites again," the Tasnim agency quoted him as saying.

According to the top Iranian diplomat, the armed confrontation in the Gulf area has demonstrated that the United States "cannot protect even its own bases." "A new approach to ensuring stability in the region should be based on collective security and the mutual resolution of economic conflicts," he stressed.

He also lauded Qatar and Pakistan’s "effective mediatory role" in the negotiating process between Tehran and Washington and stated that Tehran’s relations with Doha are currently "at a very positive phase."