TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Ministry Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticized the destructive role of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exacerbating regional instability and undermining diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States.

In a post on social media X on Monday, Araghchi condemned Washington’s “lethal” support for Israeli aggression in Gaza and Yemen, stressing that these interventions have yielded nothing for the American people while fueling further violence and human suffering.

He warned that Netanyahu is openly dictating U.S. policy, attempting to control President Trump’s diplomatic approach to Iran, and actively meddling in the internal workings of the U.S. government in order to drag it into another catastrophic conflict in the region. 

Araghchi also referred to the Biden administration’s approval of an unprecedented $23 billion aid package to Israel, calling it a clear example of how the American people are being manipulated into underwriting Tel Aviv’s destructive agenda.

Despite these provocations, Araghchi reaffirmed that if the objective—recently reiterated by President Trump—is to ensure that “the only thing [Iran] can’t have is a nuclear weapon,” then a diplomatic solution is within reach. He emphasized that the only viable path forward is diplomacy based on mutual respect and mutual interests.

Iran has repeatedly declared that it has no intention of pursuing, developing, or stockpiling nuclear weapons, a commitment rooted in religious and ethical imperatives. These peaceful intentions have been continuously verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has confirmed Iran’s full compliance with its obligations and found no evidence of diversion toward military purposes—despite the most intrusive inspections regime applied to any member state.

In parallel, the diplomatic process between Tehran and Washington—initiated through Omani mediation in Muscat and later continued in Rome—has seen cautious but measurable progress. U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, described the ongoing indirect talks as “positive,” stating that both sides are working to resume a fourth round of discussions, which had been scheduled for May 3 but were postponed due to the president’s upcoming regional visit.

Speaking in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Witkoff acknowledged that diplomacy is still the preferred course of action, yet continued to reiterate the unfounded narrative of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. 

The Islamic Republic has also firmly rejected any attempts to expand the scope of the talks to include its defensive capabilities or regional influence—issues which remain sovereign and are not subject to external diktats.