Iran Delivers New Furious Threat to U.S. After Trump Strikes
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered blistering remarks on Sunday as he responded to the overnight strikes conducted by the U.S. which, overseen by President Donald Trump, targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites. Araghchi warned of 'everlasting,' 'dangerous,' and 'far-reaching' consequences for what the Iranian Foreign Ministry called an 'egregious act of aggression and heinous crime.'
Araghchi delivered his response in a speech at the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, and also via a series of online posts.
"The warmongering and lawless Administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression," Araghchi said. 'The U.S. military aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a U.N. member state—carried out in collusion with the genocidal Israeli regime—once again laid bare the depth of depravity that governs American foreign policy and revealed the extent of hostility harbored by the U.S. ruling establishment against the peace-seeking and independence-loving people of Iran.'
The Iranian politician went on to request an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, citing 'a violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231' and threatened that silence on this matter would only worsen the situation.
'Silence in the face of such blatant aggression would plunge the world into an unprecedented level of danger and chaos,' he warned.
Read More: Iran Issues New Grave Warning, Says U.S. Involvement in Israel Conflict Would Be 'Very Dangerous for Everybody'
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has also condemned the Trump-ordered strikes and referred to the U.S. as the "primary instigator."
'This aggression showed that the United States is the primary instigator of the Zionist regime's hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Pezeshkian said. 'Although they initially tried to deny their role, after our armed forces' decisive and deterrent response and the Zionist regime's clear incapacity, they were inevitably forced to enter the field themselves.'
Pezeshkian urged the public to come together in the face of the attacks from Israel and the U.S.
Prior to the initial Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets on June 13, conducted amid a growing concern over Iran's nuclear capabilities, Iran and the U.S. had been engaging in talks surrounding a potential nuclear deal. Those talks were suspended in light of the active conflict, and it remains to be seen if they will get back on track. But Araghchi said diplomacy is no longer an option following the U.S. military action. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities… We have to respond based on our legitimate right for self-defense,' he said.
Araghchi's warnings at the council meeting somewhat mirrored the initial reaction he shared via social media.
"The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the U.N. must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior,' Araghchi said in the early hours of Sunday morning. 'In accordance with the U.N. Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.'
Meanwhile, Trump has referred to the U.S.' attack on three key Iranian nuclear sites as 'very successful.' The U.S. launched a series of B-2 stealth bombers—some of which were reported as moving across the Pacific on Saturday, hours before the strikes were announced—and targeted the sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
'A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' Trump said in his initial announcement.
Read More: How Netanyahu Pushed Trump Toward War
The President then went on to address the nation directly from the White House on Saturday night. Flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said the U.S. bombers had 'totally obliterated' the nuclear sites and called the mission 'a spectacular military success.'
Trump instructed Iran to move toward peace, warning that the U.S. would pursue other targets with 'speed' and "precision" if not.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine appeared with Secretary Hegseth at the Pentagon on Sunday morning to share more information about the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Hegseth said the U.S. is hopeful the attack on Iran's Fordow facility "achieved destruction of capabilities." However, Gen. Caine was clear that it is 'way too early' to comment on whether Iran still retains some of its nuclear capabilities, as investigations and debriefs are ongoing.
The pair also said the U.S. is taking 'proactive' steps to protect U.S. troops in the Middle East region.
The U.S. strikes mark a significant turning point in the Israel-Iran conflict. The U.S. is no longer supporting Israel from afar, but are now active participants in an extensive military operation aiming to stifle Iran's nuclear capabilities.
As the world awaits to see what Iran's next move will be, Trump issued a stark warning to the Middle Eastern country, telling them not to retaliate to the U.S. strikes.
'Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight,' Trump said in a charged social media post. Hegseth doubled down on this point on Sunday morning, saying it 'would be a very bad idea for Iran or its proxies to attempt to attack American forces.'
Meanwhile, Israel and Iran continue to trade deadly missiles 10 days into their active conflict. Israel's military said Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles toward the country following the U.S. strikes.
Write to Olivia-Anne Cleary at olivia-anne.cleary@time.com.
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