Araghchi: Tehran will hit back if US joins Israeli assault

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is no longer certain it can trust the United States after Israel launched airstrikes just days before scheduled negotiations.

In an interview with NBC News, Araghchi accused Washington of potentially using diplomacy as a “cover” for military action.

“We don’t know how we can trust them anymore,” Araghchi said. “What they did was, in fact, a betrayal to diplomacy.”

When asked whether a deal with the US could be reached in the two-week window set by President Trump, Araghchi responded: “It depends on them — to show their determination for going for a negotiated solution.”

But he emphasised that talks are off the table while Israel continues its aerial attacks on Iran. “We’re not prepared to negotiate with them anymore, as long as the aggression continues,” he stated.

He reiterated Iran’s refusal to end uranium enrichment, calling it a matter of “national pride and dignity.” “Zero enrichment is impossible,” he told US envoy Steve Witkoff. “This is an achievement of our own scientists.”

Though Araghchi described Witkoff as a gentleman, he said the American envoy was unreliable: “He changed his words every time we met… there is a lack of confidence now.”

While some informal communication channels remain open, Araghchi clarified: “That doesn’t mean negotiation… We negotiate only when it is negotiation and not dictation.”

Addressing the threat to Iran’s nuclear sites, he said strikes cannot destroy the country’s technical knowledge. “Suppose they destroy one facility or two — we can rebuild them. The technology cannot be destroyed by bombs.”

He warned that any US participation in Israeli attacks would be met with retaliation. “Self-defence is a legitimate right of every country… If the U.S. joins Israel in these attacks, we will do the same.”

Reacting to threats against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Araghchi said such a move would be “the biggest crime they can commit,” but added: “They won’t be able to do that.” He described Khamenei as a revered figure with millions of followers across the region.

Trump has claimed the US knows Khamenei’s whereabouts but doesn’t plan to target him “at least not for now.” Araghchi responded: “I see it more as an insult… It’s not acceptable the way he talked about our respected leader.”

To resume diplomacy, Araghchi said, the US must act: “If Americans are serious about going back to diplomacy, what it needs is only a telephone call from Washington to Tel Aviv to stop everything… Then we will consider diplomacy once again.”

Finally, Araghchi dismissed any idea that the Iranian government might collapse under military pressure. “We are a great nation. We have never been a colony. We are the cradle of Persian civilisation… Those things cannot be bombed away.”

Araghchi, one of the key negotiators of the 2015 nuclear deal, noted that Iran has endured far worse, including an eight-year war with Iraq, and remains committed to defending its sovereignty and dignity.

By Tamilla Hasanova