Iran will respond to U.S. strikes with right of self-defence, says foreign minister
Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said U.S. strikes on his country's nuclear sites were an unforgivable violation of international law and Washington was 'solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences' of the military action.
Mr. Araghchi told reporters in Turkey that while the 'door to diplomacy' should be kept open, that was no longer possible. 'My country has been under attack, and we have to respond based on our legitimate right to self-defence. We will do that for as long as needed and necessary,' he said.
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He declined to comment in detail when asked if Iran planned to attack U.S. military bases in the region or close the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane. 'There are a variety of options available to us. And that's it,' he said.
Iran's military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Sunday that the U.S. should expect 'regrettable responses' and the country's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the bombings have shown that 'America is the main factor behind the Zionist regime's hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.'
Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, said Iran's response will depend on how its leaders perceive the U.S. attacks.
'If Iranian leaders view the U.S. air strikes as designed to bring regime change, they could go nuclear by mining the Strait of Hormuz and blocking commercial shipping which could have devastating effects on the energy sector,' he said.
However, Dr. Gerges said it was more likely that Iran will try to avoid being dragged into an all-out war with the U.S. 'My take is that Iran will try to redouble its efforts against Israel in order to show its determination to inflict damage on its enemy. We are likely to witness major escalation between Iran and Israel in the next few days,' he said.
Mr. Araghchi planned to fly to Moscow on Sunday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been a close ally of Iran. Mr. Putin is a 'friend of Iran,' the foreign minister said, adding, 'We always consult with each other.'
Russia's foreign ministry condemned the U.S. attacks and said they increase the risk of a wider conflict. 'The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the UN security council,' the ministry said in a statement Sunday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed deep concern at the U.S. involvement. 'Spoke with President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian,' Mr. Modi said in a post on X. 'We discussed in detail about the current situation, reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability.'
India has been a significant buyer of Iranian oil, and it invested in the Iranian port facility of Chabahar.
China's foreign ministry also criticized the bombings and said they 'led to an escalation of tensions in the Middle East.'
'China calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible,' the ministry added in a statement.
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