Tehran Will Halt Strikes if Israel Ceases Attacks, Says Iranian FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran does not seek to escalate the current conflict with Israel, unless war is “imposed” on the country.

Speaking early Sunday, he warned that Iran’s military response would continue if, as he described it, Israeli aggression does not cease.

“On the first night of our attack on Israel, we targeted only military objectives,” Araghchi said. “But since last night, we have hit economic targets and Israeli refineries.”

He defended Iran’s actions as legitimate self-defence, accusing Israel of crossing a red line by targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Araghchi described Israel’s strikes on refineries and the energy hub of Asaluyeh as a “strategic mistake” and warned that further escalation in the Persian Gulf could risk triggering a wider global conflict.

The foreign minister also directed sharp criticism at Washington, accusing the United States of actively supporting Israel’s military campaign. “The US should clearly and publicly oppose Israel’s attacks, not just in private messages,” he said.

“We do not accept Washington’s claim that it is uninvolved in these attacks. We have evidence to the contrary,” he added, insisting that Iran would not agree to any deal that limits its access to nuclear energy.