Says Iran’s Forces on High Alert Despite Netanyahu Message Relayed by Putin

TEHRAN —Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday night that Tehran supports any initiative to halt the Israeli violence in Gaza, but remains deeply skeptical of Tel Aviv’s commitment to ceasefire agreements, citing a long record of violations. 
Speaking during a nationally broadcast interview, Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s support for the current ceasefire plan is rooted in pragmatism, but warned that previous experiences with Israel leave little room for trust.
“We support any plan that ends the genocide and crimes against the people of Gaza,” Araghchi said. “But we do not trust the Zionist regime — they have broken ceasefire agreements time and again, particularly in Lebanon.”
The Iranian diplomat noted that while the initial phase of the ceasefire, which includes a halt to hostilities and partial Israeli withdrawal, has begun, over half of Gaza remains under occupation. 
Araghchi cast doubt on whether Israel would follow through on future phases involving reconstruction, full withdrawal, and restoration of Palestinian rights.
Iran’s position, he stated, is that decisions around the ceasefire belong solely to the Palestinian resistance, which Tehran supports “as long as the agreement serves the interests of the people of Gaza.” 
However, he stressed that backing the ceasefire does not absolve Israel of accountability for alleged war crimes. “Justice must be pursued, and international legal mechanisms must be engaged,” Araghchi said.
Rejecting accusations of neutrality, Araghchi said Iran’s position is “realistic and vigilant,” warning of continued Israeli deception. He also categorically denied any direct or indirect talks with the United States over Gaza or other regional issues, reiterating that Tehran’s dialogue with Washington is strictly limited to the nuclear file.
Araghchi flatly rejected suggestions that Iran could one day join the Abraham Accords — a normalization framework between Israel and several Arab states — calling the initiative “a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.” 
“This scheme seeks to legitimize a genocidal occupier under a holy name. Iran will never accept it,” he said.
The top diplomat also pushed back on Western misconceptions about a so-called “comprehensive deal” with Iran, asserting that such a framework has never existed and is not on the table. 
“We do not accept the term ‘comprehensive deal’ because we have never held comprehensive negotiations — not with the 5+1, not with the Europeans, and certainly not with the Americans,” he said during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Tehran earlier this week.
He criticized European efforts to revive talks, noting that previous negotiations yielded commitments which were later abandoned — primarily by the United States, but also through European inaction. 
“What incentive do they offer now? What’s changed?” Araghchi asked. He said Iran no longer recognizes the E3 (France, Germany, and the UK) as a meaningful negotiating bloc and prefers to engage bilaterally based on national interests.
On potential U.S. talks, Araghchi said Iran had received overtures, including a message from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff suggesting face-to-face talks. However, Araghchi said Tehran insisted any such meeting include European representation and the IAEA — a condition the Americans declined. 
“That’s not negotiation, that’s dictation,” he said. “We won’t accept terms without reciprocity or respect.”
Regarding nuclear cooperation, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s right to enrich uranium, while indicating openness to transparency — if aligned with national interests. 
He noted that the Cairo-brokered framework for cooperation with the IAEA, known as the “Cairo Accord,” is effectively suspended following recent actions by European states at the UN Security Council. Any new steps, he said, would require commitments from global actors to be honored.
On the domestic front, Araghchi said Iran is compiling legal evidence from the recent 12-day war — a confrontation with Israel earlier this year — in coordination with the President’s legal office, in preparation for possible legal proceedings. 
Military documentation, he acknowledged, is proceeding cautiously due to operational security concerns.
Araghchi also disclosed that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently conveyed a message from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicating the Zionist regime does not seek further conflict with Iran. 
The message, shared after a Putin-Netanyahu phone call, was delivered to Iran’s ambassador in Moscow. However, Araghchi said the message does not alter Tehran’s strategic posture, and that Iranian forces remain on high 
alert. “The potential for deception remains high,” he warned.
Amid growing pressure, Araghchi warned of what he called an intensified psychological warfare campaign aimed at eroding public confidence and distorting Iran’s actions. 
He dismissed several recent claims — including reports that he ignored Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s calls during the war — as fabrications. 
“These lies are designed to sow fear and confusion. They are not based in fact,” he said, adding that foreign-based networks and Israeli-aligned media are actively manipulating the Iranian online space.
Responding to renewed enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions, including Resolution 1929, Araghchi said no credible reports have emerged of Iranian ships being inspected. 
“These powers may now have the legal claim to inspect, but in practice it rarely happened even when the resolution was active,” he said. “Should it happen now, we will respond appropriately.”
Addressing the broader sanctions landscape, Araghchi said that Iran’s oil exports remain strong despite attempts to trigger the “snapback” mechanism that reinstates UN sanctions. 
“Our specialized markets remain intact. The real pressure remains the U.S. unilateral sanctions, not the symbolic UN measures,” he said. He called the snapback effort largely psychological in nature.
Still, Araghchi stressed that diplomacy remains essential and that the Foreign Ministry continues its mission to seek the lifting of sanctions. “We will not turn our backs on negotiations that serve the interests of the Iranian people,” he said.
He also confirmed that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Iran and Russia has officially entered into the implementation phase. 
The deal, covering long-term cooperation across energy, defense, and infrastructure, is seen as a pillar of Iran’s Eastward shift. 
“This agreement builds strategic trust and allows both countries to plan with confidence,” Araghchi said.