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Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi<\/a> has rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East<\/a>, telling NBC News\u2019 \u201cMeet the Press\u201d that his country needs \u201cto continue fighting for the sake of our people.\u201d<\/p>\n The U.S. and Israel \u201care killing our people, they are killing girl students, you know, they are attacking hospitals,\u201d he told moderator Kristen Welker.<\/p>\n He said Israel and the U.S. had already shattered the ceasefire reached to end last year\u2019s 12-day war, adding, \u201cAnd now you want to ask for a ceasefire again? This doesn\u2019t work like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere needs to be a permanent end to the war<\/a>,\u201d Araghchi said. \u201cUnless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security.\u201d<\/p>\n On Friday, four sources told NBC News<\/a> that Russia was providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East, including intelligence that could help Iran locate American warships.<\/p>\n Pressed on whether Iran is receiving Russian support, Araghchi said that \u201ccooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new, it\u2019s not a secret.\u201d He did not say whether Russian intelligence was helping Iran locate U.S. military assets.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are helping us in many different directions. I don\u2019t have any detailed information,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In a separate interview on \u201cMeet the Press,\u201d United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz discussed reports of Russia sharing intelligence with Iran, saying he had \u201cno doubt President Trump will deal with it accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked whether he considered Russia to have entered the conflict, Waltz said \u201cwe know that both Russia and Iran have had this symbiotic relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf they are providing anything, it certainly hasn\u2019t been very effective, because the U.S. military is decimating Iran\u2019s air force, air defenses, navy, ground forces, command and control,\u201d Waltz said. \u201cSo whatever they\u2019re providing, if they\u2019re providing anything, hasn\u2019t shown to help them very much.\u201d<\/p>\n On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would no longer attack neighboring Gulf nations unless they facilitate U.S. or Israeli attacks, and he apologized to the region after Iranian strikes killed people in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.<\/p>\n But Araghchi said Iran had not been \u201cattacking our neighbors\u201d intentionally.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are attacking American bases, American installations, American assets, which are unfortunately located in the soils of our neighbors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Araghchi added that Pezeshkian had apologized to the people of the region for \u201cthe inconveniences they have faced because of this aggression by the United States and retaliation by us.\u201d<\/p>\n The Iranian minister also said that if the U.S. deploys ground troops to Iran<\/a>, \u201cwe have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil, to fight with them and to kill them and destroy them.\u201d<\/p>\n President Donald Trump said last week that one of the reasons for launching the war was that Iran would soon have missiles capable of reaching the U.S., but Araghchi said this was untrue.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is in fact misinformation,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know, we have capability to produce missiles, but we have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000 kilometers of range because we don\u2019t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Assembly of Experts has chosen a new supreme leader after strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei<\/a>, according to Iranian state media, but Araghchi did not offer any insight on who was set to replace him.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody knows,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are lots of rumors around. But you know, we have to wait for the Assembly of Experts to convene.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed on comments by Trump that he wanted to be involved in choosing Iran\u2019s next leader, Araghchi said Iran will \u201callow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is up to the Iranian people to elect their new leader,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have already elected the Assembly of Experts, and the Assembly of Experts will do the job.\u201d<\/p>\n