On the eighth or ninth day of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council made a strategic decision stating that if Tel Aviv were to request a ceasefire without preconditions, Tehran would accept, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi revealed on Sunday.
In an interview on state television, the FM said the decision was made from “a position of strength,” after Iran had “proven” it was acting in defense, not offense.
Araghchi said that during the 12-day war, he received messages that Israel was “ready for a ceasefire,” and therefore consulted with the commander of the Revolutionary Guards and other relevant officials and, after final approval, announced that Iran was prepared to halt the war on condition that the other side would cease its attacks.
The Iranian diplomat also revealed there had been a “misunderstanding” regarding the timing of the ceasefire and that “confusion” between him and Iranian forces was “resolved by a phone call.”
Araghchi said that on the first day of the ceasefire, “the Zionist entity claimed that Iran had launched missiles and violated the agreement, and therefore sent planes to carry out a strike.”
He added, “I immediately messaged [US envoy Steve] Witkoff, saying that Israel was inventing excuses and falsely blaming Iran.”
“Then you saw that (US President Donald) Trump tweeted, ordered the pilots to turn back and halted the Israeli strike, showing that everything had been coordinated with the Americans from the outset,” the minister said.
On June 24, Araghchi said in post on X that the military operations had ended at 4 am.
Asked about whether he had been subjected to an assassination attempt, Araghchi said that a bomb had been placed outside his house. “But security forces took control of it,” he said.
The Minister had travelled to Türkiye, and then to Geneva where he held talks on June 20 with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany on Israel's conflict with Tehran.
During the interview on Sunday, he said Iran’s decision to match military resistance with diplomatic engagement is what prevented the war from spiraling into a wider regional catastrophe. “We were on the brink of full-scale war at least three times in recent years...But it was diplomacy, not just arms, that pulled us back.”
Doubts Following Haniyeh’s Assassination
Regarding the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 31, 2024, Araghchi said that a meeting was held in the presence of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following the incident, and a consensus was reached on the necessity of responding to Israel.
The top diplomat said that different opinions occurred between political and military leaders on when and how to respond to Israel.
“The army commanders believed that the attack should be carried out when we has full confidence in our ability to defend the country,” he said.
Araghchi then said at the time, he traveled 17 times to the region where he held diplomatic efforts to prevent the war with Israel.
Diplomacy is always the least risky and costly way to achieve goals, he said, adding, “I conveyed the message to all countries that any confrontation between Iran and Israel will spiral, but that does not mean that we will fight other countries.”
Araghchi said Israel is trying to drag America into the war, warning regional actors hosting US military bases to consider the risks of involvement in a future conflict. “If Iran is forced to defend itself, no hostile base will be spared,” he said.
Hours before the interview aired, Iranian websites had reported that the Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) had prevented the talk show to host Araghchi.
But the interview was aired a day after President Masoud Pezeshkian visited the headquarters of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Ceasefire Talks
Asked whether Iran was deceived in the negotiations with the United States, Araghchi said, “Engaging in talks is a national decision that we must adhere to.”
“This was not a misjudgment by the Foreign Ministry,” Araghchi stressed. “It was a united directive from the country’s top leadership. The truce was approved only after the Zionist side initiated the request—an outcome that highlights the effectiveness of Iran’s resistance strategy.”
The FM said, “The Zionist entity thought Iran would collapse within a week, but that didn’t happen. Within hours, field commanders were appointed and responses were implemented. The enemy requested a ceasefire, and we delivered the final blow.”
He also praised the Iranian people for their unity during the crisis. “The strong cohesion among Iranians reflected their deep trust in the state’s efforts to avoid war while defending the nation’s dignity.”
On the nuclear issue, Araghchi said Tehran has never sought nuclear weapons and that the JCPOA was built on temporary confidence-building measures.
He then rejected proposals like a multinational fuel consortium as violations of Iran’s sovereignty.
