Iran says the USA will likely be “solely and totally liable for the damaging penalties” of its assaults on Iranian nuclear sites, including that US President Donald Trump has “betrayed” American voters by submitting to Israel’s needs.
Throughout an tackle to a gathering of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Sunday, Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the US crossed “a really large pink line” by attacking Iran’s three nuclear amenities.
Talking simply hours after Trump introduced that US warplanes had “obliterated” the nuclear websites, Araghchi condemned the strikes and referred to as on the United Nations Safety Council to behave.
“It’s an outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation of the basic rules of the Constitution of the United Nations and worldwide legislation,” he stated, including that the “warmongering and lawless” US administration will likely be “solely and totally liable for the damaging penalties and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression”.
“The US army assault on the territorial integrity and nationwide sovereignty of a UN member state carried out in collusion with the genocidal Israeli regime has as soon as once more revealed the extent of the USA’ hostility in the direction of the peace-seeking folks of Iran. We’ll by no means compromise on their independence and sovereignty,” he stated.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to defend Iran’s territory, sovereignty, and other people by all means mandatory towards not simply US army aggression, but additionally the reckless and illegal actions of the Israeli regime.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who escalated the Middle East conflict by launching strikes on Iran on June 13, praised Trump’s “daring determination” to hit Iran’s nuclear websites, and stated Israel and the US acted in “full coordination”.
After the strikes, Trump stated Iran “should now agree to finish this warfare” and that by no means might Iran possess a nuclear weapon.
However Araghchi stated any demand to return to negotiations on the nation’s nuclear programme was “irrelevant”. The US and Iran have been engaged in nuclear talks earlier than Israel launched a shock strike on Iran – publicly backed by the US – earlier this month.
Iran denies its uranium enrichment programme is for something aside from civilian functions, rejecting Israeli allegations that it’s secretly growing nuclear weapons. Netanyahu has pledged to proceed the assaults for “as many days because it takes” to cease Iran from growing a “nuclear menace”.
“The world should not neglect that it was the USA which – within the midst of a course of to forge a diplomatic consequence – betrayed diplomacy by supporting the genocidal Israeli regime’s launch of an unlawful warfare of aggression on the Iranian nation,” Araghchi stated.
“So we have been in diplomacy, however we have been attacked. They gave a inexperienced mild to Israelis, if not instructed them, to assault Iran’s nuclear amenities. They’ve proved that they aren’t males of diplomacy, they usually solely perceive the language of menace and power.”
US Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday stated he nonetheless hopes Iran will return to the negotiating desk.
“I can solely affirm that there are each private and non-private messages being delivered to the Iranians in a number of channels, giving them each alternative to come back to the desk,” he informed reporters.
Trump additionally ‘betrayed’ US voters
Araghchi additionally accused Trump of betraying not solely Iran, however his personal supporters as effectively. He stated Trump was elected on a platform of placing an finish to “America’s expensive involvement in ‘endlessly wars’”.
“He has betrayed not solely Iran by abusing our dedication to diplomacy, but additionally deceived his personal voters by submitting to the needs of a wished warfare felony who has grown accustomed to exploiting the lives and wealth of Americans to additional the Israeli regime’s aims,” stated Araghchi, referring to Netanyahu.
Iran says greater than 400 folks have been killed and no less than 3,056 others wounded since Israel launched its assaults on June 13. In Israel, no less than 24 folks have been killed in Iranian strikes.
Araghchi stated he would head to Moscow afterward Sunday and maintain “severe consultations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning within the wake of the unprecedented US strikes.
“Russia is a good friend of Iran and we take pleasure in a strategic partnership,” he stated in Istanbul. “We all the time seek the advice of with one another and coordinate our positions.”
In the meantime, Iran’s delegation to the UN additionally formally referred to as for an emergency assembly of the UN Safety Council on Sunday to debate the US strikes. In a letter submitted to the council carried by Fars Information Company, the Iranian delegation urged “quick motion and the adoption of mandatory measures beneath the framework of the United Nations Constitution”.
“Silence within the face of such blatant aggression will plunge the world into an unprecedented stage of hazard and chaos,” Araghchi stated in Istanbul. “Humanity has come too far as a species to permit a lawless bully to take us again to the legislation of the jungle.”
