WANA (Mar 20) – Abbas Araghchi has criticized the United States for what he described as a recurring pattern of misrepresenting reality, drawing a comparison to the Vietnam War.

 

He stated that while the U.S. government presents one version of events, “reality shows something entirely different.”

 

Referring to the Vietnam War, Araghchi said American officials have not forgotten that even when hundreds of U.S. soldiers were being killed and the outcome of the war had already become clear, William Westmoreland was brought back to reassure the public that “everything was going well” and that the United States was “winning.”

 

He added that the media also remembers those briefings at the front lines—later infamously dubbed the “Five O’Clock Follies”—which became synonymous with overly optimistic and misleading narratives.

 

Turning to the present, Araghchi argued that a similar scenario is unfolding today. “The same script is being repeated, but on a different stage,” he said, referencing Pete Hegseth. “The message remains disconnected from reality. The U.S. government says one thing, but the facts indicate otherwise.”

 

He further claimed that at a time when U.S. officials assert that Iran’s air defense systems have been neutralized, an F-35 Lightning II has reportedly been targeted.

 

He also pointed to naval developments, saying that while American officials speak of the end of Iran’s naval capabilities, the USS Gerald R. Ford is retreating and the USS Abraham Lincoln is moving further away.

 

Araghchi concluded by saying that although the decade has changed, the narrative remains the same: “We are winning.”