Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has stated that Iran’s missile strikes on Israel were acts of self-defense and would cease if Israel halts its aggression. Speaking to ambassadors and foreign mission representatives in Tehran on Sunday, Araqchi emphasized that Iran does not want the ongoing conflict to spread across the region.
Araqchi warned that Israeli actions risk igniting a broader war in the Persian Gulf—a sensitive and complex region where any escalation could have global consequences. He called Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iranian territory “unprecedented” and labeled them a “strategic mistake” intended to expand the conflict.
He disclosed that key Iranian targets hit by Israel included the Natanz nuclear facility and residential areas in Tehran and other cities. Araqchi also accused Israel of previously assassinating Iranian academics, nuclear scientists, and military commanders inside their homes.
“These attacks came even as Iran was engaged in dialogue with the United States, with the sixth round of negotiations scheduled for today,” he said, condemning Israel for crossing new red lines amid international silence.
Araqchi criticized the U.N. Security Council and European countries for failing to condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying their indifference undermines international law. “Instead of condemning Israel, some so-called civilized nations blamed Iran,” he noted.
Defending Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes, Araqchi said, “Our response followed the principle of self-defense. We initially targeted only military sites, but Israel’s attacks on economic infrastructure compelled us to respond in kind, including strikes on Israeli refineries.”
Araqchi thanked diplomats and countries that condemned Israeli aggression and expressed solidarity with Iran. He urged the international community to act swiftly to halt further Israeli attacks and prevent a wider regional conflict.
