Tehran (IP) - Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticized Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, saying that the regime is seeking to widen the conflict across the region as a way to escape the quagmire it faces in Gaza.

Iran PressIran news: In an interview, Araghchi highlighted the regime's inability to defeat Hamas despite its superior military arsenal after 11 months had passed since the start of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.

“The fact is that the Israeli regime has been caught in a quagmire in Gaza,” Araghchi said. “Despite having sought to destroy Hamas with an army that has been armed to the teeth with the most advanced weapons, it has not been able to achieve its goal after a year.”

He pointed to Israel’s escalating aggression across the region, particularly in the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, since the start of the Gaza war. Araghchi cited the recent detonation of booby-trapped pagers and radios in Lebanon, which killed at least 39 people and injured 3,000 over two days.

“These are acts of blind terrorism and crime against humanity,” he remarked, noting that Israel is resorting to such actions “out of frustration.” He added, “The Zionists assume that by expanding the battlefield, they can exit the deadlock. We are fully aware and would not be lured into their trap.”

Araghchi also rejected U.S. claims of being unaware of the Lebanon attacks in advance, questioning Washington’s stance. “In our view, this is not acceptable. One cannot believe claims that the Americans were not aware,” he stated. “They [the Americans] cannot evade these crimes.”

Reflecting on earlier comments from August, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s willingness to manage tensions with the U.S. “We have differences with the Americans, many of which are fundamental,” he said, citing Tehran’s opposition to Washington’s imperialist policies and military interventions.

“Complete resolution of these differences is not possible, and is principally not feasible,” he added. “However, the cost can be reduced,” with Araghchi noting that the Foreign Ministry would explore honorable ways to achieve this goal.

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