By Freddie Clayton (NBC News)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that his country needs “to continue fighting for the sake of our people.”

The U.S. and Israel “are killing our people, they are killing girl students, you know, they are attacking hospitals,” he told moderator Kristen Welker.

He said Israel and the U.S. had already shattered the ceasefire reached to end last year’s 12-day war, adding, “And now you want to ask for a ceasefire again? This doesn’t work like this.”

“There needs to be a permanent end to the war,” Araghchi said. “Unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security.”

On Friday, four sources told NBC News 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.

Pressed on whether Iran is receiving Russian support, Araghchi said that “cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new, it’s not a secret.” He did not say whether Russian intelligence was helping Iran locate U.S. military assets.

“They are helping us in many different directions. I don’t have any detailed information,” he said.

In a separate interview on “Meet the Press,” United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz discussed reports of Russia sharing intelligence with Iran, saying he had “no doubt President Trump will deal with it accordingly.”

Asked whether he considered Russia to have entered the conflict, Waltz said “we know that both Russia and Iran have had this symbiotic relationship.”

“If they are providing anything, it certainly hasn’t been very effective, because the U.S. military is decimating Iran’s air force, air defenses, navy, ground forces, command and control,” Waltz said. “So whatever they’re providing, if they’re providing anything, hasn’t shown to help them very much.”

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.

But Araghchi said Iran had not been “attacking our neighbors” intentionally.

“We are attacking American bases, American installations, American assets, which are unfortunately located in the soils of our neighbors,” he said.