Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday called on U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon his “disrespectful and unacceptable tone” toward Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asserting that meaningful dialogue cannot proceed amid threats and insults.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,” Araghchi wrote on social media platform X.
The statement follows Trump’s recent claims that U.S. and Israeli forces “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites and that he spared Khamenei from death during Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’. Trump also warned that Iran must return to the “world order flow” or face worsening consequences.
In a pointed response, Araghchi emphasized that the Iranian people do not respond to coercion. “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,” he wrote. “If illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its real capabilities, which will certainly end any delusion about the power of Iran.”
Using a metaphor tied to Persian heritage, Araghchi likened Iranian resilience to the nation’s famous carpets: “The complexity and tenacity of Iranians are famously known in our magnificent carpets, woven through countless hours of hard work and patience.”
He concluded with a message of conditional openness: “Good will begets good will, and respect begets respect.”
His remarks come amid hints from Washington about possible diplomatic engagement. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that the Trump administration remains focused on diplomacy and is in close communication with Iranian counterparts, facilitated in part by Qatari intermediaries.
“We want to ensure we can get to a place where Iran agrees to a non-enrichment civil nuclear program,” Leavitt stated, days after the U.S. carried out targeted strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
The future of U.S.-Iran diplomacy now hangs in the balance, as Tehran demands respect and Washington signals both openness and hardline readiness.
