Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is travelling to Moscow for high-level discussions with President Vladimir Putin following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Speaking in Istanbul, Araghchi described Russia as a “friend of Iran” and reiterated Tehran’s right to self-defence, stating that “all options are on the table” as tensions rise in the Middle East. He urged the international community to condemn what he termed the United States’ lawless aggression, warning that such actions threaten to plunge the world into unprecedented chaos.
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Araghchi condemned the recent American strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, claiming they had violated international law. Referring to the attacks as a crossing of “the most dangerous red line,” he accused the US of bombing not only Iranian sites but also the rule of law itself. His visit to Moscow has raised international concerns about what level of support Russia may be prepared to offer Iran, potentially shifting the balance in a conflict that is already spiralling.
The airstrikes, which targeted three key nuclear sites using US B-2 bombers, marked a dramatic escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict. The United States, having now entered the war directly, has put its military bases, diplomatic personnel and civilians in the region at risk of Iranian retaliation. Araghchi emphasised that Washington bears full responsibility for the consequences, accusing President Trump of betraying both the Iranian people and his own voters, who supported his pledge to end the so-called “forever wars.”
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Despite assertions from Western intelligence that Iran is nearing nuclear weapons capability, Araghchi maintained that the country’s nuclear programme remains peaceful. He argued that Iran, now under threat from both a nuclear-armed superpower and a nuclear-armed regional adversary, sees little value in the current nuclear agreements. While he stopped short of announcing Iran’s withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, he made clear that meaningful diplomacy would only resume once all forms of aggression cease.
