Armed Forces ready to defend Iran under any circumstances

Araghchi

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s armed forces remain fully prepared to defend the country under any circumstances, stressing that Tehran prefers diplomacy over war but will not ignore possible threats.

In an interview with an Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi addressed the recent 12-day war imposed by the Israeli regime and ongoing tensions, saying reports about a possible renewed Israeli attack are part of psychological warfare.

 “We also hear a lot that the Israeli regime may attack again. Psychological warfare is part of the real war, and it seems that they are currently working on psychological warfare and creating a sense of fear in the country that this is part of a more general war,” Araghchi said.

He emphasized, however, that Iran does not underestimate the possibility of conflict. “This does not mean we are ignoring the possibility of war. We are fully prepared. Our armed forces and our people are ready to defend the country under any conditions,” he stated.

Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position against war, saying Tehran seeks diplomatic solutions. “We do not want war. We want to resolve issues through diplomacy. You may be able to destroy buildings and equipment through bombardment, but technology cannot be destroyed by military attacks, nor can knowledge be erased from people’s minds,” he said.

He added that the will of a nation cannot be broken through military force. “More importantly, you cannot destroy the will of a nation through bombing,” Araghchi stressed.

Referring to years of sanctions imposed on Iran, the foreign minister said pressure had failed to resolve disputes. “For many years before any military attack, the Iranian people were subjected to sanctions, yet nothing was resolved. There is no solution other than a negotiated and diplomatic one,” he said.

Araghchi also expressed deep mistrust toward the United States, saying Iran has never viewed Washington as a sincere negotiating partner. “We have never trusted the United States as an honest negotiator. The US has not been sincere in anything, and in my view, no one can truly trust it. But this should not prevent choosing diplomacy,” he noted.

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked aggression against Iran while Washington and Tehran were in a process of nuclear negotiations. The Israeli attack triggered a 12-day war that killed at least 1,064 people in the country, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

The United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of international law.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the aggression.