Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has announced that he is jetting to Moscow, Russia for urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the U.S. attack on Iran.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Turkey, Araghchi condemned the U.S. strikes as “outrageous” and accused Washington of betraying diplomacy.
According to him, the U.S only understands the language of threats.
He said: “I’m going to Moscow this afternoon to hold serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow.
“The U.S. only understands the language of threats and force.”
Speaking further, Iran’s Foreign Minister said: “They crossed a very big red line by attacking (Iran’s) nuclear facilities.
“The most dangerous one happened only last night,” Araghchi added, vowing that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary against, not just US military aggression, but also the reckless and unlawful actions of the Israeli regime”.
Araghchi also asserted that any demand to return to negotiations was “irrelevant.
However, the U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has rejected the comments of Iran’s Foreign Minister, maintaining that the reason for the U.S. attack on Iran was not for regime change.
Hegseth asserted that the attack was to reaffirm U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision that “Iran must not get a nuclear weapon.”
He said the focus was on degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities while preserving space for diplomacy.
“They understand precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps they can take to allow for peace, and we hope they do so,” he said.
He added that communication channels with Iran—both public and private—remain open.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Araghchi’s travel to Russia comes after the U.S. attack on Iran.
The strikes targeted key sites like Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
The attack came nine days into the escalation of nuclear war between Israel and Iran.
