Tehran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi turned the tables on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday, hailing his comments as proof that America entered the fray purely to shield Israel – not out of any genuine Iranian peril. Araghchi held Israel culpable for the deadly consequences borne by both American and Iranian populaces.
During a press interaction Monday, Rubio detailed the calculus behind US aggression: Aware of Israel’s strike preparations, officials anticipated Iranian retaliation against US positions. Preemptive measures, he argued, averted greater catastrophe. ‘Knowledge of Israel’s plans and potential fallout dictated our move,’ Rubio explained.
Araghchi’s swift X retort cut deep: ‘Rubio has validated our position – the US fought willingly for Israel. No Iranian threat existed.’ He lambasted the human cost, attributing spilled blood across borders to Israeli instigation and appealing directly to US citizens for accountability.
Context emerged from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s revelations about the Saturday Israeli operation in Tehran, which fatally struck Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid a crucial assembly of leaders. Rubio distanced the effort from outright regime overthrow, though he expressed tacit approval of the outcome in line with Trump-era policies.
Amid this diplomatic storm, the incident lays bare intertwined strategies and recriminations shaping the Middle East’s volatile landscape.