Iran FM Araghchi slams Israel for seeking ‘permanent war’ following Ben Gvir’s ‘Lebanon must burn’ remark

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of seeking a "permanent war" on Friday (June 19). His comments followed a statement by Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who declared that "all Lebanon must burn" after the deaths of four Israeli soldiers there. Araghchi wrote on X, “This is not a rant by a random genocidal lunatic. It's a public post by the national security minister of the Israeli regime. The genocidal death cult headquartered in Tel Aviv is a threat to all of humanity. It threatens all humans. Its only interest is permanent war.”

Following a memorandum of understanding signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end a regional war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes, Iranian officials emphasised adherence to the nation's “red lines.” Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that future talks with the United States remain bound by these red lines to protect Iranian interests. Published by the IRNA news agency, Ghalibaf said, "As we have shown in the past path of negotiations, we are steadfast in fulfilling the conditions and red lines set, and in achieving the interests of the Iranian nation. If the enemy seeks to be excessive, we have proven that our fingers are on the trigger and we have no hesitation in giving a crushing response to the enemy."

These remarks followed a message on state television from Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei approved the US-Iran deal despite holding a "different view," clarifying that direct negotiations do not mean accepting the enemy's perspective. In response, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Pezeshkian both pledged that Iran's foreign policy would protect the nation's rights, dignity, and authority while adhering to its red lines.