Why it matters:
Araghchi’s remarks frame the current regional crisis not merely as a military confrontation, but as a coordinated challenge to the UN Charter, the non-proliferation regime, and the very viability of diplomatic engagement.
Araghchi argued that Iran is facing a systematic assault but said diplomacy can survive if its principles are upheld.
The big picture:
Araghchi said the world is witnessing an unprecedented breakdown of international norms.
According to him, West Asia has become the primary victim of this deterioration, with powerful states engaging in cross-border attacks, political coercion, and military escalation.
He argued that recent strikes on Iranian territory and IAEA-monitored nuclear facilities signal a profound shift: the replacement of law with force.
What he's saying:
- Araghchi delivered an extensive critique of recent geopolitical events, presenting them as part of a structured campaign against Iran and international law:
- He said Iran is a peace-seeking nation but “stands firm in war and makes any aggressor regret its actions,” citing how calls for “unconditional surrender” turned within nine days into demands for an “unconditional ceasefire.”
- He argued that the 80th anniversary of the United Nations should have marked a renewed commitment to international law, yet instead, the world faces a “full-scale attack” on its foundational principles by revisionist powers.
Araghchi warned that “international law is under fire,” and the world is experiencing “deep challenges, worrying trends, and unprecedented strategic shifts.”
- HHe asserted that the first bombs of the recent confrontation targeted diplomacy rather than Iranian soil, saying U.S.-ordered strikes effectively “landed on the negotiating table” and made diplomacy “the first victim of the 12-day war.”
- He emphasized that the Zionist regime, backed by the United States and several European governments, has been pursuing “boundless geopolitical ambitions,” violating international law, and committing “mass killing, genocide, and ethnic cleansing” with Western weapons.
- Araghchi said attacks on civilians, commanders’ homes, and safeguarded nuclear sites were not only illegal but a “full-scale assault” on the UN Charter and the non-proliferation system.
- He argued that the Zionist regime has attacked seven countries in the past two years, occupied new territories beyond Palestine, and openly speaks of a “Greater Israel,” posing a threat to every state in West Asia.
- He stated that the regime struck Iran just two days before the planned sixth round of nuclear talks, describing it as “a surprise attack on diplomacy under full U.S. guidance.”
- He said the United States, through “reckless and irresponsible attacks” on peaceful nuclear facilities, has once again become “the primary threat to global peace and security.”
- Looking forward, Araghchi insisted that diplomacy is still viable: “The attack was an attack on diplomacy — but diplomacy is alive.”
- He said calls for negotiation have resurfaced simply because “those who attacked Iran failed to achieve their objectives militarily.”
- He emphasized that Iran has never left the negotiating table: “It has always been the other parties who attacked diplomacy, not us.”
- He concluded that diplomacy can still resolve major conflicts, but only if all sides respect its principles and refrain from coercion.
Go deeper:
Araghchi frames Iran not only as a regional actor under attack but also as a defender of the international legal order at a time of global erosion.
His narrative also positions diplomacy as Iran’s strategic choice, one that remains open only because Iran held firm under military pressure.
For Tehran, the conference serves both as a diplomatic stage and as an attempt to reshape international perception of the crisis: a shift from isolated events to a pattern of systematic violations against Iran and the global rule-based system.
M.Majdi - Mahboubeh Habibi
