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Abbas Araghchi<\/p>\nAbbas Araghchi<\/p>\n
New Delhi \u2014 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mounted a forceful defence of Tehran\u2019s regional stance against Israel and the United States, arguing that Iran\u2019s policies are rooted in opposition to what he described as lawlessness and expansionism, not confrontation for its own sake, as tensions rise alongside a renewed US military buildup in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
Speaking to diplomats, analysts and media leaders at the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Araghchi framed the Gaza war and broader regional tensions as part of a deeper structural crisis in international law. He warned that allowing Israel to act \u201cabove the law\u201d, backed by US military and political support, risks normalising force over rules and pushing the region toward wider instability.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet no one miscalculate: a region cannot be kept stable by allowing one actor to act above the law,\u201d Araghchi said. \u201cThe doctrine of impunity will not produce peace; it will produce wider conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
His remarks come as Washington has expanded naval deployments and air defence assets in the Gulf, citing deterrence and regional security. Tehran has criticised the buildup as provocative, while US officials argue it is necessary to prevent escalation and protect shipping lanes and allied interests.<\/p>\n
Resistance, not escalation<\/p>\n
Araghchi portrayed Iran\u2019s posture as a reaction to what he called a long-standing imbalance in regional power, in which Israel operates with military and diplomatic immunity while neighbouring states face pressure for resisting its actions.<\/p>\n
He said Palestine represents \u201cthe defining question of justice in West Asia\u201d, arguing that the destruction in Gaza has become a test of whether international law is applied universally or selectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are witnessing in Gaza is not merely war,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not a \u2018conflict\u2019 between equal parties; it is the deliberate destruction of civilian life on a massive scale. It is genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Araghchi, continued US backing for Israel, combined with expanded American military presence, signals that force is being prioritised over legal accountability. He warned that such a dynamic encourages escalation by removing incentives for restraint.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not merely a Palestinian problem. It is a global problem,\u201d he said, adding that international relations are increasingly being governed by power rather than law.<\/p>\n
Linking Gaza to Gulf tensions<\/p>\n
The Iranian foreign minister tied the Gaza conflict directly to the broader security environment in the Gulf. He argued that instability does not originate from Iranian defiance but from what he described as expansionist policies shielded by great-power support.<\/p>\n
He accused Israel of seeking permanent military and strategic dominance while weakening neighbouring states and said that forced displacement or destruction in Gaza could pave the way for further annexation in the West Bank, developments he warned would inflame the entire region.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the world wants peace, it must stop rewarding aggression,\u201d Araghchi said. \u201cPalestine is not merely a cause for solidarity; it is the indispensable cornerstone of regional security.\u201d<\/p>\n
In that context, he said Iran\u2019s resistance is inseparable from a broader effort to prevent the Middle East from being \u201creshaped by force\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about confrontation,\u201d he added. \u201cIt is about preventing the region from being reshaped by force.\u201d<\/p>\n
Call for coordinated international action<\/p>\n
Araghchi urged Muslim-majority countries, Arab states and nations of the Global South to form a unified diplomatic front focused on legal accountability rather than military alignment.<\/p>\n
\u201cExpressions of concern are not enough,\u201d he said. \u201cThere must be consequences for violations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He called for comprehensive sanctions against Israel, including an arms embargo and suspension of military and intelligence cooperation, alongside a political framework grounded in international law that includes ending occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital.<\/p>\n
While he did not directly threaten military retaliation, Araghchi\u2019s speech underscored Tehran\u2019s view that continued US military expansion in the Gulf, combined with unconditional support for Israel, risks entrenching a cycle of confrontation.<\/p>\n
A warning about regional order<\/p>\n
At the core of Araghchi\u2019s message was a warning that the rules governing the region are at a breaking point. He argued that stability cannot be imposed through military superiority alone and that ignoring Palestinian grievances while escalating force elsewhere will deepen insecurity for all sides.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe path to stability is clear,\u201d he said. \u201cJustice for Palestine, accountability for crimes, end of occupation\u2026 and a regional order based on sovereignty, equality, and cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n
His remarks reflect Iran\u2019s effort to frame its geopolitical rivalry with the US and Israel as a legal and moral struggle rather than a purely strategic contest, a narrative likely to resonate with audiences across parts of the Global South, even as Western governments reject Tehran\u2019s characterisation.<\/p>\n
As US forces continue to reinforce their presence in the Gulf, Araghchi\u2019s speech signals that Iran intends to contest not only military pressure but also the political narrative surrounding the region\u2019s future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Abbas Araghchi New Delhi \u2014 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mounted a forceful defence of Tehran\u2019s regional stance…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[50433,42,91,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-280144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-abbas-araghchi","9":"tag-headlines","10":"tag-iran-israel-war","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-top-news","13":"tag-top-stories","14":"tag-topnews","15":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}