Iran rules out diplomacy after US strikes nuclear sites

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has slammed the United States for sabotaging ongoing diplomatic efforts by launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Speaking at a press conference during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, Araghchi urged the international community to take a clear stance, saying "global norms and diplomacy are under direct threat."

"We were in the middle of negotiations," FM Araghchi said. "It was not Iran that walked away. The US abandoned diplomacy with missiles, not words," he added.

"They crossed a very big red line by attacking [Iran’s] nuclear facilities," Araghchi said.

The United States on Sunday bombed multiple nuclear facilities in Iran, with President Donald Trump calling the action "a spectacular military success."

Three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — were struck using the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

Araghchi warned that the implications go beyond bilateral relations. "This is not just about Iran. It’s about the credibility of international law itself. The United Nations Charter is being challenged," he said.

The foreign minister also called on the UN Security Council to respond, urging it to formally denounce this act of aggression and reaffirm the principles of state sovereignty.

While emphasising Iran’s right to defend itself, Araghchi dismissed any suggestion that diplomacy could proceed under the current conditions. “You cannot bomb a negotiating partner and ask them to talk peace the next day.”

The foreign minister is scheduled to visit Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the recent developments will be high on the agenda.

'US not seeking regime change in Iran'

Separately, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Washington was not seeking regime change in Tehran.

The Pentagon chief urged Iran's leaders to find an off-ramp to the conflict after President Donald Trump announced the strikes on key underground uranium enrichment site at Fordow, along with nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz.

"We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme," Hegseth told a Pentagon press briefing, adding that the operation "did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people."

Trump "seeks peace, and Iran should take that path," Hegseth continued. "This mission was not, and has not, been about regime change," he added.

Trump's intervention — despite his past pledges to avoid another "forever war" — threatens to dramatically widen the conflict after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last week, with Tehran vowing to retaliate if Washington joined in.

— With additional input from AFP