
Faith Nyasuguta
Iran has issued a sharp and furious warning to the United States after three of its nuclear facilities were bombed in US airstrikes. Speaking at an emergency Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi(pictured) declared that America would be “solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences” of its military actions. He also accused President Donald Trump of betraying both the Iranian people and his own voters.
Araghchi said the strikes were a direct violation of international law, describing them as “an outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation of the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.” He claimed that the U.S. had crossed “a very big red line” by launching coordinated attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. Just hours earlier, Trump had announced that U.S. warplanes had “obliterated” the sites.
Calling for urgent intervention, Araghchi demanded action from the United Nations Security Council. “The US military attack on the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state carried out in collusion with the genocidal Israeli regime has once again revealed the extent of the United States’ hostility towards the peace-seeking people of Iran,” he stated. “We will never compromise on their independence and sovereignty.”

The Iranian minister doubled down on Iran’s commitment to resist external pressure: “The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to defend Iran’s territory, sovereignty and people by all means necessary against not just US military aggression, but also the reckless and unlawful actions of the Israeli regime.”
The escalation began on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, an operation strongly supported by the US. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for a “bold decision” and revealed that the US and Israel acted in “full coordination.” Following the joint strikes, Trump said Iran “must now agree to end this war” and insisted that Iran would never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
However, Araghchi firmly dismissed any notion of returning to nuclear negotiations under current circumstances, saying any such demands were “irrelevant.” He accused the US of undermining diplomatic efforts just as the two nations were in talks. “The world must not forget that it was the United States which – in the midst of a process to forge a diplomatic outcome – betrayed diplomacy by supporting the genocidal Israeli regime’s launch of an illegal war of aggression on the Iranian nation,” he said.
“So we were in diplomacy, but we were attacked,” Araghchi added. “They gave a green light to Israelis, if not instructed them, to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. They have proved that they are not men of diplomacy and they only understand the language of threat and force.”

Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to strike a different tone, telling reporters that the US remains open to diplomacy. “I can only confirm that there are both public and private messages being delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels, giving them every opportunity to come to the table,” he said.
But Araghchi went further, accusing Trump of deceiving not just Iran, but also his own electorate. “He has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy, but also deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal who has grown accustomed to exploiting the lives and wealth of American citizens to further the Israeli regime’s objectives,” said Araghchi, referring to Netanyahu.
Since June 13, Iran claims that over 400 people have been killed and at least 3,056 wounded in Israeli attacks. Iran has also launched retaliatory strikes, reportedly killing at least 24 people in Israel.
In response to the growing crisis, Araghchi announced he would be flying to Moscow to hold “serious consultations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Russia is a friend of Iran and we enjoy a strategic partnership,” he said. “We always consult with each other and coordinate our positions.”

Iran’s UN delegation has formally requested an emergency Security Council meeting. A letter submitted to the UN and published by Fars News Agency, urged “immediate action and the adoption of necessary measures under the framework of the United Nations Charter.”
Wrapping up his address in Istanbul, Araghchi warned of global repercussions if the world fails to act. “Silence in the face of such blatant aggression will plunge the world into an unprecedented level of danger and chaos,” he said. “Humanity has come too far as a species to allow a lawless bully to take us back to the law of the jungle.”
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