‘Iran won both war and diplomacy’: Araghchi says conflict ‘completely dispelled’ notion of Tehran’s weakness

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the US-Israeli war of aggression demonstrated Iran’s resilience and completely dispelled the global perception of the country being weak. Araghchi added that Tehran’s post-war foreign policy will be fundamentally different from the period before the conflict.

In an interview aired on Iranian state TV, Araghchi said the war had fundamentally altered international perceptions of Iran and argued that the country had demonstrated resilience despite sustained pressure.

“In my view, Iran’s foreign policy in the post-war period will be completely different from the period before the war. The perception of Iran as weak has been completely eliminated,” he said.

Araghchi said the US initially sought Iran’s unconditional surrender but subsequently shifted its objectives.

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“It was the second or third day of the war when Trump posted a tweet in two words: ‘Unconditional surrender’. And, well, they were seeking surrender. They became disappointed, then they pursued regime change; they became disappointed, then they pursued partition; they became disappointed, then they pursued internal unrest. Every plan that they could pursue, they pursued, and they were unsuccessful in bringing this war to a rapid conclusion.”

Regarding negotiations with the US, Araqchi said President Masoud Pezeshkian had supported considering Washington’s request for talks as a possible way to find a path toward ending the war.

‘We forced the enemy to accept our conditions’

Araghchi said Iran had won both the war and diplomacy. “We won the war and we also won in diplomacy, and we forced the enemy to accept our conditions,” he said, adding that Iran’s military capabilities gave its diplomacy strength in the negotiations.

Araghchi said Iran resisted for days against the “world’s largest apparent military,” alongside another army claiming military power.

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He said the memorandum of understanding signed with the US contained “13 provisions in our favour and one in theirs”.

“America is now begging to negotiate with us according to our conditions,” he said.

‘Israel sabotaging ceasefire deal with US’

Araghchi accused Israel of actively sabotaging diplomacy, calling the country “the biggest opponent and obstacle” to the implementation of a ceasefire understanding with the US.

“The biggest opponent and obstacle to the implementation of the memorandum of understanding was and is the Zionist regime [Israel],” Araghchi said, adding, “They did their best to prevent such an understanding from happening, they did their best to make this understanding fail, and they did their best to prevent it from being implemented, and they are still continuing this effort.”

Araghchi claimed that several ambassadors had told him that almost all clauses of the MoU were in Iran’s favour.

“We fought with authority and negotiated with authority,” Araghchi said.

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Araghchi’s statement comes as US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner has reiterated Washington’s firm stance on Iran, stating that the American leader remains clear that Tehran cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the United States meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting a naval blockade.

“I want to state clearly that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding are implemented,” Ghalibaf said in a speech broadcast on state television.