Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on US President Donald Trump, accusing him of undermining diplomacy and treating sensitive nuclear negotiations “like a real estate transaction.”
Taking to X, Araghchi wrote, “When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met.”
“The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite,” he added, in an apparent reference to the joint US-Israeli military action against Iran last week.
The Iranian foreign minister accused Trump of betrayal, saying, “Mr. Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him.”
'Regime Change Is Mission Impossible'
Earlier in an interview with NBC News on Saturday from Tehran, Araghchi dismissed calls for regime change following the US-Israel strikes.
“Changing the Iranian regime is ‘mission impossible,'” he said. “You cannot do regime change while millions of people are supporting the so-called regime.”
His remarks came hours after Washington and Tel Aviv launched coordinated strikes on multiple Iranian cities, and President Trump called on Iranian citizens to rise against their leadership.
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Talks Before The Escalation: Chronology
The military escalation followed weeks of stop-start diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
February 6, 2026: Iran and the US held indirect nuclear talks in Oman, amid the presence of the head of the US Central Command.
February 17, 2026: Another round of talks took place in Geneva, even as Tehran announced a temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery through which roughly a fifth of global oil trade passes.
February 26, 2026: Fresh discussions were held in Geneva after the US assembled one of its largest deployments of warplanes and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.
Despite these engagements, tensions spiralled dramatically. On February 28, Israel and the United States launched a coordinated assault on Iranian targets under multiple operation names — “Roaring Lion” by Israel and “Operation Epic Fury” by the US Department of Defense. Israeli officials also referred to it as “Operation Shield of Judah.”
Strikes were reported in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, with multiple explosions heard across key urban centres. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces carried out the attacks.
According to statements from US and Israeli officials, the joint operation targeted strategic military and leadership assets. Iran later on confirmed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several members of his family were killed in coordinated airstrikes by US and Israel and vowed retaliation.
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