Abbas Araghchi warns world faces ‘unprecedented danger’ as Tehran launches revenge strikes on Israel
Iran’s foreign minister has launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump, branding the US president a “lawless bully” who’s betrayed diplomacy and pushed humanity to the brink of catastrophe.
Abbas Araghchi didn’t hold back in his furious response to America’s devastating air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that the world now faces “unprecedented danger” after US B-2 stealth bombers obliterated key sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
The veteran diplomat’s explosive comments came as Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel that left at least 16 people injured – including a young man with shrapnel wounds to his upper body.
‘Trump Betrayed Diplomacy’
In a dramatic press conference in Istanbul on Sunday, Araghchi tore into the American president with unprecedented venom.
It was not Iran, but the U.S. who betrayed diplomacy,” the foreign minister declared, his anger palpable as he addressed reporters just hours after the US strikes.
The 62-year-old diplomat – who previously served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator – accused Trump of deceiving his own voters by launching attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, suggesting the president was reneging on his election promise not to get involved in “forever wars.
Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression,” Araghchi warned, describing the American strikes as “outrageous.
From Negotiating Table to War Zone
What makes Araghchi’s fury even more intense is the timing. According to multiple sources, Iran and the US were scheduled to hold a sixth round of nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman on Sunday – the very day after the strikes.
The foreign minister, who had been leading these delicate talks alongside Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, saw months of diplomatic efforts go up in smoke along with Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“In order for us to come back to diplomacy, the aggression should be stopped,” Araghchi told reporters on Saturday. I cannot go to negotiation with the United States when our people are under bombardment, under the support of the United States.
Career Diplomat Turned War Minister
Araghchi’s transformation from seasoned diplomat to wartime foreign minister marks a dramatic shift for the Persian carpet merchant’s son who spent decades building bridges with the West.
Born in Tehran in 1962 to a prominent trading family, Araghchi entered Iran’s foreign service in 1989 and climbed the ranks through postings in Saudi Arabia, Finland and Japan. He earned a reputation as a skilled negotiator during the 2015 nuclear deal talks.
But now, facing what he calls America’s “brutal act that contradicts international laws,” the usually measured diplomat has adopted a much harder line.
‘Humanity at a Crossroads’
In his most chilling warning, Araghchi declared that humanity itself hangs in the balance.
Humanity has come too far as a species to allow a lawless bully to take us back to the law of the jungle,” he said, in a direct attack on Trump’s leadership.
The foreign minister called for “urgent and decisive action” by the United Nations and other international bodies, warning that “silence” will “plunge the world into an unprecedented level of danger.
Messages Still Flying
Despite the hostile rhetoric, Araghchi revealed that back-channel communications with Washington haven’t completely broken down.
There are some direct messages, some indirect messages we’re exchanging,” he admitted in a recent NBC News interview with Andrea Mitchell. And we have explained each other’s positions to each other in order to prevent misunderstandings.
But he was quick to add: “That doesn’t mean negotiation. They have asked us to negotiate, but we negotiate only when it is negotiation and not dictation.”
Nuclear Knowledge Can’t Be Bombed
In a defiant message to Washington, Araghchi insisted that bombing Iran’s facilities won’t destroy the country’s nuclear capabilities.
“Suppose they destroy one facility or two,” he said. “We can rebuild them, because the knowledge is here, the technology is there. We have achieved that ourselves, and the technology cannot be reversed, cannot be destroyed by bombs.”
Britain Backs Trump
As Araghchi condemned the strikes, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer threw Britain’s support behind the US action.
“Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat,” Starmer said, urging Iran to return to negotiations.
But with missiles already flying and Araghchi warning of “very, very dangerous” consequences if the US continues its involvement, the prospects for diplomacy appear bleaker than ever.
What Comes Next?
As Sunday’s missile strikes on Israel demonstrated, Iran isn’t backing down. Emergency services in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem reported treating casualties as air raid sirens wailed across the country.
Araghchi has made it clear that Iran “reserves all options” to retaliate further, warning: “When there is a war, both sides attack each other. That’s quite understandable. And self-defense is a legitimate right of every country.”
With the foreign minister now preparing for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the man who once helped broker peace now finds himself at the centre of a conflict that threatens to engulf the entire Middle East.
For Abbas Araghchi, the transformation from diplomat to wartime foreign minister is complete. The question now is whether anyone can pull the region back from the brink – or whether his warnings of “unprecedented danger” are about to become reality.
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