‘Israeli attack completely undermined Iran’s trust on US’: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed deep scepticism over the United States's sincerity in pursuing diplomatic talks, days after Israel launched an aerial assault on Iran. Speaking from Geneva to the NBC News after discussions with European diplomats, Araghchi said the attack had seriously undermined Tehran’s trust in Washington.

Araghchi questioned whether the Donald Trump administration had ever genuinely sought a negotiated resolution. He implied that the US might have used the prospect of talks as a cover for Israel’s strike, describing the incident as a betrayal of diplomacy. He added that Iran no longer felt confident engaging with the US under such circumstances.

The Iranian diplomat stressed that while his country remained open to negotiations, these could not take place as long as Israeli aggression continued. He said Iran was unwilling to enter into any dialogue under the current conditions, pointing out that bombing raids had to end before talks could resume.

Araghchi reiterated Iran’s refusal to abandon uranium enrichment, a key American demand. He said this position had been clearly communicated to US envoy Steve Witkoff. According to him, the right to enrich uranium was non-negotiable and a matter of national pride. He emphasised that Iran’s scientific community had made significant achievements, and the country would not give up what it considered a sovereign right.

Regarding Witkoff, Araghchi said the American envoy had initially appeared cooperative but ultimately failed to deliver on promises made in previous discussions. He said it was because of a lack of authority or shifting American positions. It has led to the erosion of trust, although some lines of communication were still open.

Araghchi, meanwhile, warned that such exchanges could not be treated as negotiations. He also dismissed the idea that Iran’s nuclear programme could be destroyed through military action. Even if a facility were bombed, he said, the underlying knowledge and technological capability would remain. Iran, he noted, had developed its nuclear expertise independently, and that expertise could not be eliminated by force.

Araghchi warned that any American military involvement alongside Israel would provoke an Iranian response. He justified this as a matter of self-defence and said retaliation was a legitimate right. He also condemned threats to target Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling such actions criminal and warning that they would fail. Khamenei, he said, commanded the loyalty of millions both within and beyond Iran’s borders.

Reacting to President Trump’s remarks that the US was aware of Khamenei’s whereabouts but did not plan to target him "for now", Araghchi called the statement insulting. He expressed surprise that the US president could speak in such terms and said the comments were disrespectful towards Iran’s highest authority.

To revive talks, Araghchi argued, all Washington needed to do was to instruct Israel to halt its attacks. He insisted that a simple call from the US to Tel Aviv could end the strikes and clear the way for diplomacy. Despite speculation from US and Israeli leaders that the Iranian regime might collapse under military pressure, Araghchi asserted that Iran had a long tradition of resilience.

“We are a great nation. We have never been a colony of any other power. We have always been independent,” said Araghchi. “We are the cradle of civilisation, the Persian civilisation. So all those things cannot be bombed away.”