Original Article By Charlie McCarthy
Iran’s foreign minister accused Israel of authoring “fiction” about Tehran’s nuclear capabilities to gain U.S. military assistance in June, and cited anti-Israel sentiment in America as a reason President Donald Trump should pursue “peace by diplomacy.”
In an opinion column published by The Guardian, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “dragged the US into a military confrontation with Iran,” claiming Israel paid a “steep” price and that more Americans now see Israel “not an ally but a liability.”
Araghchi cast the June fighting as proof, in his words, that “myths originating from Israel” have distorted Western strategy in the region.
He said Iran’s “strategic depth” limited the damage inside the country while Israelis “experienced the might” of Iran’s military, contending that Israel’s “narrative of invulnerability” has been “shattered.”
The Iranian minister also revived Tehran’s long-running line that the “manufactured crisis” over its nuclear program is based on “fiction authored in Tel Aviv,” insisting Iran “do[es] not seek nuclear weapons” as a “strategic doctrine” grounded in religious and ethical considerations.
He urged Trump to break with what he called “blank cheques for Israel,” arguing diplomacy, not “capitulation” demands, is the path to stability.
Araghchi said there is a “brief window of opportunity” for diplomacy.
Conservatives and national-security hawks likely will view the opinion column as a familiar play: The Islamic Republic blames Israel and the U.S. for tensions while seeking sanctions relief and time, even as international watchdogs and U.S. assessments continue to raise alarms about Iran’s nuclear trajectory.
A Congressional Research Service summary of U.S. intelligence assessments noted that Iran’s supreme leader is the “final decisionmaker” on any move toward nuclear weapons, and warned Tehran may now be conducting work relevant to weaponization.
Meanwhile, analysis of International Atomic Energy Agency reporting has described Iran’s production of uranium enriched up to 60% — far above levels needed for civilian power — and highlighted expansion and configuration changes at key sites.
A Reuters account of an IAEA report earlier this year also said Iran increased its stockpile of near weapons-grade material ahead of Israel’s June strike.
Araghchi’s argument landed as tensions remain high.
Trump warned Monday that the U.S. would respond forcefully if Iran attempts to rebuild its military or nuclear capabilities, saying any renewed threat from Tehran would bring consequences “more powerful” than previous actions.
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