TEHRAN: Iran has sharply criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump for making “disrespectful and unacceptable” remarks about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that such rhetoric undermines any prospects for renewed negotiations.
In a strongly worded post on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slammed Trump’s recent social media claims that he had prevented an Israeli or U.S. strike that could have killed Iran’s top leader.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt supporters,” Araghchi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The statement follows Trump’s post on Truth Social, in which he boasted that he had “saved” Khamenei from “a very ugly and ignominious death,” claiming he blocked plans to assassinate the Iranian leader.
“I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered,” Trump said, asserting that both Israel and U.S. forces could have carried out the strike, but he had intervened. “He does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!’” he added.
Araghchi denounced the remarks as an affront not just to Khamenei but to the Iranian nation. “The great and powerful Iranian people… do not take kindly to threats and insults,” he said, referencing recent tensions with Israel and claiming Iran had forced the Israeli government into retreat during a 12-day conflict that began on June 13.
Escalating Tensions After U.S. Strikes
The comments come amid heightened tensions following recent U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, which Washington conducted in coordination with Israel. The strikes, which took place last weekend, have fueled speculation about a broader military escalation, though their overall impact remains unclear.
Trump had also suggested he was considering lifting sanctions on Iran, a key demand from Tehran in any future talks. But he said that following Iran’s angry reaction to his remarks, he had “immediately dropped all work on sanction relief.”
Despite Trump’s assertion that new negotiations could begin as early as next week, Iran has denied any such plans are in motion.
Tehran’s rebuke signals that diplomacy remains stalled — and may become even more elusive — if rhetoric from the U.S. continues in the same tone.
