Rania Abushamala
28 February 2026•Update: 28 February 2026
ISTANBUL
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday condemned the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, describing them as “wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate.”
In a statement on the US social media company X, Araghchi said: “Netanyahu and Trump’s war on Iran is wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate.”
He added that US President Donald Trump had turned “‘America First’ into ‘Israel First’ — which always means ‘America Last’.”
“Our powerful armed forces are prepared for this day and will teach the aggressors the lesson they deserve,” Araghchi said.
On Saturday morning, Israel launched a “preemptive” attack against Iran under the name “Lion’s Roar,” declaring a “special and immediate” state of emergency across the country.
US President Donald Trump later said his forces launched “major combat operations” in Iran aimed at “protecting the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
The attacks come as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program had been ongoing under Oman’s mediation. A new round of talks in Geneva ended on Thursday.
Last June, the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
