The top diplomat made the comment in a post shared on his X account on Thursday, the seventh day of the Israeli aggression against Iran.
“By now, the whole world should know that Iran solely acts in self-defense. Even in the face of the most outrageous aggression against our people, Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it,” he said.
Israel began airstrikes on Iran on June 13, killing civilians and assassinating top military officials, three days ahead of scheduled talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program.
Araqchi said in his post that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waged the war on Iran to ruin diplomacy, warning against Israeli attempts to expand the conflict to the region and elsewhere in the world.
“Just like Netanyahu manufactured this war to destroy diplomacy, the world should be highly alarmed about increasing attempts by the failing Israeli regime to get others to bail it out and to expand the flames to the region and beyond,” he said.
The foreign minister emphasized that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and will never do that, while Israel remains the only regional entity to possess such weapons which he described as inhuman.
“Iran has proven in action what it has always publicly committed itself to: we have never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons. If otherwise, what better pretext could we possibly need for developing those inhuman weapons than the current aggression by the region’s only nuclear-armed regime.”
“Iran will continue to exercise its right to self-defense, with pride and bravery,” said Araqchi, adding that the Islamic Republic will make the aggressor regret its big mistake and pay for it.
He also said that except for the “illegal and occupying Israeli regime,” Iran remains committed to diplomacy.
IRNA