Iran Says US Has Blown Up Diplomacy
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who plans to travel to Moscow to meet President Putin on Monday, has reacted to the major US bombing of his country's nuclear facilities by saying 'all options' are on the table militarily, and that this effectively has blown up any efforts at diplomacy.
'The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior,' he said. 'In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.'
On Sunday morning, Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to present the overnight attacks as 'intentionally limited' in scope, and described that this is not a regime change operation. He told the Iranians to heed Trump's call to return to the negotiating table, and that the US military is ready to unleash more strikes if need be.Vice President JD Vance too in fresh statements has expressed hope of pursuing a diplomatic solution. 'We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it's already been built out. We want to end their nuclear program,' Vance told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday 'We want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here,' he added.
But at least on a public level, Iran's foreign ministry is saying the diplomatic path is over as the US has shut the door with its brazen attack. Iran's official nuclear energy agency has the most interesting characterization of the US action, in the below via state media:
The organization denounced the passive stance of the IAEA, which is not only ignoring the violations but, through its silence, enabling such aggressive behavior.
'It is unfortunate that this action—clearly against international law—has taken place with the indifference and, in some cases, complicity of the International Atomic Energy Agency,' the AEOI added.
The statement called on the global community to denounce 'lawless jungle behavior' by the US and to stand by Iran in defending its legitimate rights.
The statement further called out 'the American enemy' in stating, 'The American enemy, through a statement by its president in social media, has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks on these sites, which are under continuous monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based on the safeguards agreement and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).' And crucially:
Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, says efforts to develop the civilian nuclear sector will go on.
'This is not the first time our facilities are attacked,' Kamalvandi told Iran's YJC news agency. 'Considering our capabilities, the nuclear industry must continue.'
The elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has at the same time declared 'now the war has begun' – as the region braces for the coming Iranian response.
Trump Has Bombed Iran. What Happens Next Is His Fault.The US is the only nation on earth that can rival Israel in its ability to play the victim when the ball they've thrown at the wall bounces back.Reading by Tim Foley. pic.twitter.com/vNNSPxCSWE — Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) June 22, 2025
Below is the IRGC statement as reprinted in Iraqi Kurdistan English-language media:
Shortly after the attack, the IRGC published a brief statement on its official X account, writing: 'Now the war has begun for us.' The message underscores the gravity of the attack on one of Iran's most sensitive nuclear sites and suggests that Tehran now considers itself fully engaged in open warfare.
Iran previously warned that it could hit back directly on US bases in the region if it comes under attack. No doubt, the Pentagon and US Central Command (CENTCOM) is bracing are such potential retaliation, which could come in the form of drones and ballistic missiles – as happened in Iraq following the Soleimani assassination during Trump's first term.
Recent reports have pointed to an American troop drawdown at a couple of bases in Syria, but not a full withdrawal of the occupation. US troops remain in Iraq, but also at many bases just across the water from Iran in the Arab Gulf kingdoms.
Iran's FM says the attacks are 'unforgiveable' and that it made the possibility of diplomacy moot:
'IRRELEVANT to ask Iran to return to diplomacy, because we WERE in the middle of diplomacy'Araghchi says US 'gave green light to Israel, if not INSTRUCTED them to attack nuclear sites'Adds Israel and US 'only understand language of threat and force, this is very unfortunate' https://t.co/NJXtoTz97u pic.twitter.com/vImCTZDs7O — RT (@RT_com) June 22, 2025
To review the details of what happened overnight, the US deployed six B-2 bombers to drop 12 GBU-57 'bunker-buster' bombs on Iran's heavily fortified Fordow nuclear site, marking the first time these massive 30,000-pound bombs were used in combat. The enrichment sites at Natanz and Isfahan were also attacked. The mission lasted about 37 hours with multiple refueling missions.
While the White House is now claiming Iran's nuclear facilities were 'completely and totally obliterated,' officials say it's too early to confirm the full extent of the damage. Tehran is signaling only limited damage, and that entrances to the facilities were struck, at this point war propaganda is kicking in, and Iranian leaders will likely only conceal the full extent of the destruction.
Also read: Iranian Parliament Backs Strait Of Hormuz Closure, Oil Market Braces For Turmoil
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When it seized a US-bound tanker in April 2023, Iran said the ship had struck another vessel. But the move appeared to be retaliation for the seizure off Malaysia's coast of a ship loaded with Iranian crude by U.S. authorities on the grounds of sanctions violations. In May 2022, Iran seized two Greek tankers and held them for six months, presumably a response to the confiscation by Greek and U.S. authorities of Iranian oil on a different ship. The cargo was eventually released and the Greek tankers freed. So, too, was the oil on a tanker that Iran said it impounded in January 'in retaliation for the theft of oil by the US.' Has Iran ever closed the Strait of Hormuz? Not so far. During the 1980-88 war between Iraq and Iran, Iraqi forces attacked an oil export terminal at Kharg Island, northwest of the strait, in part to provoke an Iranian retaliation that would draw the U.S. into the conflict. 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Ten other nations — including the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain — later joined the operation, known now as the International Maritime Security Construct. Since late 2023, much of the focus on protecting shipping has switched away from the Strait of Hormuz and onto the southern Red Sea, the region's other vital waterway, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects it to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on shipping entering or exiting the Red Sea became a greater concern than the Strait of Hormuz. UK-flagged tanker Kohzan Maru reversed course in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after the strikes became public. At least one tanker in the Strait of Hormuz appears to have paused its transit after the US struck Iran overnight. Seen here, the UK-flagged tanker Kohzan Maru reversed course after the strikes became public and is now racing south at top speed. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 22, 2025 Latest ship tracking data via Bloomberg shows tankers are still flowing through the maritime chokepoint. Other critical maritime chokepoints to keep an eye on in the region. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued this warning to Iran on Fox News: 'If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it and we retain options to deal with that.' Rubio:'If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it and we retain options to deal with that' — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 22, 2025 Now the West waits for Iran's retaliatory attack. Also read: Here's How US Strikes On Iran Unfolded
