Iran tells US to choose war or peace

 Iran has challenged the United States to make a pivotal decision following the recent war with Israel, urging Washington to return to diplomacy or risk further escalation.

In a sharply worded op-ed published in the Financial Times, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posed a stark question to President Donald Trump's administration: "Will the US finally choose diplomacy? Or will it remain ensnared in someone else's war?"

Newsweek has reached out the State Department and Iran's foreign ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The recent war between Israel and Iran, followed by direct U.S. involvement, marked a major escalation in the region and derailed high-level diplomacy between Tehran and Washington. Araghchi's statement underscores the fragility of the region's balance and raise the stakes for future dialogue on nuclear disarmament and regional stability.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, July 7, 2025. Eraldo Peres/AP Photo

What to Know

According to Araghchi, Iran and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff were making unprecedented progress: "In only five meetings over nine weeks, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and I achieved more than I did in four years of nuclear negotiations with the failed Biden administration." Talks were disrupted just before a sixth session due to Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iranian nuclear infrastructure.

Israel's June 13 airstrikes, described by its government as a preemptive attack against an "existential threat," triggered a 12-day war with Iran. The conflict also prompted President Trump to authorize airstrikes targeting Iranian underground nuclear facilities.

Israeli Sabotage

Araghchi accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging progress between Tehran and Washington. "Needless to say, the progress made in talks between Iran and the US has been sabotaged; not by Iran, but by an ostensible ally of America," he said. Araghchi rejected Israel's justification for the attack, saying, "Israel falsely claimed its air strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons," and said that Iran remains a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and committed to peaceful nuclear development under UN oversight.