Araghchi Warns in Istanbul: “The U.S. Betrayed Diplomacy — Iran’s Armed Forces Will Deliver the Response”

According to Saed News, As tensions between Tehran and Washington reach a new and perilous high, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s former deputy foreign minister and senior nuclear negotiator, issued one of the strongest condemnations yet of the U.S. military assault on Iranian nuclear facilities. Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on Sunday, Araghchi accused Washington of “trampling international law” and warned that Iran’s retaliation would come not through diplomacy—but through its armed forces.

“America has crossed every red line,” Araghchi told assembled international media. “This is not just a violation of Iranian sovereignty; it is an outright betrayal of diplomacy and a disgraceful breach of the United Nations Charter.”

He emphasized that the level of physical damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was secondary to the political and legal magnitude of the act. “The issue is not about centrifuges or buildings,” he said. “It is about America discarding diplomacy and choosing brute aggression. That decision has a price—and our military will ensure it is paid.”

The comments came in the wake of coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s key nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The attacks were widely condemned by Iranian officials and described as a flagrant violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), under which these facilities operate under IAEA supervision.

Araghchi’s statement also reflects a notable hardening of tone within Iran’s foreign policy circles—particularly as it was delivered from Istanbul, a traditional platform for diplomatic mediation between East and West. His warning marks a sharp pivot from negotiation toward military deterrence.

International observers fear the rhetoric signals the potential for direct retaliation, possibly escalating into a broader conflict that could destabilize the entire region.

With the Biden administration yet to formally comment on the strike's international backlash, Iran’s message from Istanbul is clear: the era of dialogue may be over, and the next move will come not from a conference table, but from the battlefield.