WANA (Mar 11) – Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said in a message that the claim that Iran intended to attack the United States or American forces is a complete lie, and that the purpose of these false allegations is to justify a major mistaken operation.

 

Araghchi wrote on his X account: “The claim that Iran intended to attack the United States or U.S. forces—whether as a preventive or preemptive action—is a pure and blatant lie.”

 

He emphasized that the sole purpose of this lie is to justify a “major mistaken operation”—a dangerous adventure designed by Israel, the cost of which is ultimately paid by ordinary American people.

 

The joint military aggression by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran—which resulted in the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution—began in the early hours of February 28, 2026. This action took place while indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States were ongoing with mediation by several regional countries.

People attend a gathering to support Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Analysts believe the move demonstrated that the United States, in practice, does not sufficiently adhere to the principles of dialogue, confidence-building, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, and continues to use the military option as a tool of political pressure.

 

Following the start of the joint military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered a decisive, targeted, and proportionate response. Within the framework of this legitimate response, military and security positions of the Israeli regime in various cities of occupied Palestine, as well as bases and locations where U.S. forces are stationed in the region, were targeted with precise missile, drone, and aerial strikes.

 

Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have emphasized that these operations were carried out within the framework of the inherent right of legitimate self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, with the aim of deterrence, preventing the continuation of aggression, and imposing costs on the aggressors.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has warned that any continuation or expansion of the aggression will be met with a stronger and broader response.