TEHRAN - Speaking to NBC News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said senior leadership figures in Iran remain in place despite the sudden Israeli and U.S. attacks on the Islamic Republic.

“All high-ranking officials are alive,” Araghchi stated. “So everybody is now in its position, and we are handling this situation, and everything is fine.”

The Iranian foreign minister sharply criticized Washington and Tel Aviv, accusing them of launching attacks despite ongoing diplomatic negotiations. 

“There is no communication right now,” Araghchi said. “But if Americans want to talk to us, they know how they can contact me. We are certainly interested in de-escalation.”
He described the military action as a deliberate escalation. 

“This is a war of choice by the United States, and they have to pay for that,” he said. “But as far as we are concerned, we don’t want war.” 

Araghchi defended Iran’s retaliatory strikes, saying Tehran is targeting only U.S. military assets in the region. 

“American forces were attacking our people in our cities, but this is not what we are going to do,” he said. “We are attacking American bases, military bases in the region, and military installations and facilities, and this is only as an act of self-defense.” 

He added, “We are not the one who started this aggression. It was the United States and Israel who started this aggression,” Araghchi said. “There is no limit for us to defend ourselves.”