If United States President Donald Trump is serious about striking a nuclear deal with Iran, he must abandon his “disrespectful and unacceptable tone” towards Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and “stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X early on Saturday.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt supporters,” Araghchi said.
“The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to ‘Daddy’ to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults,” the foreign minister added.
Araghchi sharp rebuke came a day after Trump, in a social media post, claimed that he had spared Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from assassination, accusing Iran’s Supreme Leader of showing ‘ingratitude’.
“I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,” Trump posted.
“I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!” he added.
Trump also claimed he had recently been considering lifting sanctions on Iran, a key demand of Tehran’s leadership.
“But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” Trump wrote, asking Iran to resume nuclear talks.
Meanwhile, Iran has rejected claims that it will restart nuclear talks with the United States, dismissing Trump’s statement that negotiations would resume next week.
The United States targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities last week, but there is no clear agreement on how much damage was done.
The strikes marked America’s entry into Israel’s ongoing offensive against Iran’s nuclear programme during the 12-day conflict that began on June 13.
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