Iran's special representative to the office of the Supreme Leader, Abdul Majeed Hakeem Ilahi, has sharply criticised the United States, accusing it of instigating global conflicts to thwart the rise of emerging powers such as India, China, and Russia.

Speaking in an interview with the news agency ANI, Ilahi asserted that Washington's true aim extends beyond Iran. He claimed the US seeks to preserve its unchallenged global dominance and fears the emergence of a multipolar world order.

"The aim of America is not Iran, but after Iran, it will come to other countries," Ilahi stated. He predicted that India, China, Russia, and the US would soon rank among the world's most powerful nations, prompting the US to engineer wars to prevent this shift.

Ilahi emphasised that the US refuses to share power. "America doesn't want to have any partner; it doesn't want India or China to be a powerful country," he said, linking this strategy to ongoing conflicts designed to halt their ascent.

Amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East, Ilahi signalled Tehran's openness to negotiations, but only on dignified terms. Iran is prepared to end the war provided there are no impositions contrary to its interests.

"We are ready to stop the war. We are ready for negotiations. But the negotiating should be with dignity, not dictating something against Iran," he told ANI. Iran views its actions purely as self-defence in pursuit of its rights.

Ilahi insisted that dialogue could proceed if attacks cease, sanctions are lifted, and guarantees against future aggression are provided. "Why are we not ready for negotiation? We are looking for peace," he remarked.

He categorically denied that Iran initiated the current conflict. "They are the ones attacking us and bombing our civilians; we are simply defending ourselves," Ilahi said, placing responsibility on the aggressors to halt hostilities first.

Ilahi revealed that indirect talks between Iran and the US, mediated through Oman, had been progressing positively. "We were moving toward a conclusion... on the verge of issuing a joint statement," he claimed, before US-Israeli strikes derailed them.

According to Ilahi, Iran never abandoned the negotiating table; it was the other side that did. These remarks counter US President Donald Trump's dismissal of Iran's overtures as "too late," amid vows to dismantle Tehran's ballistic missile programme and nuclear ambitions.

The broader conflict erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes over the past weekend, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top military and political figures.

In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone barrages at Gulf states hosting US bases, including Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, as well as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

The rapidly intensifying crisis has claimed over 500 lives, including six confirmed American military personnel, underscoring the severe human cost of the hostilities.

Ilahi's statements highlight Iran's narrative of victimhood and strategic patience, framing the US not merely as a regional adversary but as a global hegemon obstructing multipolarity.

Agencies