‘Think differently’: Araghchi urges Trump to change tack after trying ‘every conceivable hostile act’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has demanded a fundamental shift in US policy following a year of failed aggression and foreign-backed destabilization efforts targeting Iran.

In an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Araghchi’s message to President Donald Trump was unambiguous: the American strategy of "maximum pressure" has hit a dead end.

“The US has tried every conceivable hostile act against Iran, from sanctions and cyber assaults to outright military attack, and, most recently, it clearly fanned a major terrorist operation, all of which failed,” he said, in reference to foreign-backed terrorist riots earlier this month.

“It is time to think differently. Try respect, which will allow us to advance farther than one may believe."

He noted that during Trump’s 12 months in office, the region has seen only bloodshed, citing the human toll in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran.

Diplomacy sabotaged by "Israel’s proxies"

The minister highlighted that Tehran and Washington were "very close" to a breakthrough on at least three occasions during negotiations in Oman last May. However, these opportunities were consistently sabotaged.

Araghchi pointed the finger at "Israel’s proxies in the White House" for prioritizing Zionist interests over American ones.

Bogus claims, fake sources: Who ignited the flames of unrest and sedition in Iran

US and the Israeli regime, after failing in their previous attempts to dismantle the Islamic Republic, employed multiple means to foment chaos in Iran to deflect world’s attention from Gaza.

He further criticized the US for a "major miscalculation" in September 2025 when it pressured Europeans to invoke the "snapback" mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, effectively killing a prime opportunity for de-escalation in New York.

While Iran remains ready for a "fair and balanced deal," Araghchi noted that the experiences of 2025 have left Tehran skeptical of Washington’s sincerity.

Warning of "ferocious" retaliation

While emphasizing that he "abhors war," Araghchi warned against any renewed military adventurism.

Unlike the restraint shown in mid-2025, Araghchi stated that Iran’s Armed Forces "have no qualms about firing back with everything we have."

He dismissed the "fantasy timelines" of a short conflict peddled by Israeli hawks, warning that an all-out confrontation would be "ferocious," long-lasting, and would "engulf the wider region," impacting ordinary people across the globe.

"Maximum bloodshed" strategy

Addressing the recent domestic unrest, Araghchi slammed the "distorted narratives" prevalent in Western media.

He clarified that while legitimate economic protests were initially recognized by the government, they were hijacked by a "callous and horrific" foreign plot designed to trigger US intervention.

He said that Trump’s public warnings targeting Iran served as a direct incentive for terrorist cells to pursue a strategy of "maximum bloodshed" to force a US entry into the war on behalf of Israel.

Citing former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s own admissions regarding Mossad’s infiltration of Iranian streets, Araghchi noted that security forces faced coordinated, large-scale armed attacks by masked terrorists using rifles and handguns.

The violence, which lasted less than 72 hours, saw police officers shot, burned, and beheaded.

Araghchi likened the scale of the tragedy to the hypothetical killing of 600 law enforcement officers in the US within three days.

The minister confirmed that the violent phase has ended, terrorist cells have been eliminated thanks to the "vigilance of the public," and the temporary communication blocks required for national security are being lifted.

"No government would sit idly by as its citizens were subjected to such unfathomable horrors," Araghchi stated, reaffirming that while Iran chooses peace, it will never be intimidated by misinformation or threats.

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