Iran FM accuses Netanyahu of tricking US into war

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi yesterday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of tricking Washington into going to war with the Islamic republic, calling him a “serpent”. “In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the U.S. Administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel. Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he ‘influenced’ America through 1 000 hours of airtime on U.S. networks,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “In English, he praises POTUS’ leadership. Serpent,” he added. War broke out between Iran and the United States on 28 February with US-Israeli strikes killing the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei along with senior military officials. Iran retaliated with attacks across the region as the conflict continued to spread. An April ceasefire put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks mainly near the Strait of Hormuz have dimmed prospects for a final peace agreement, and the US recently shifted toward a campaign of what it calls “economic asphyxiation” of Iran. The US struck the Iranian island of Larak late Sunday, its first such attack in a month. In response, Iran says it launched attacks on bases in Jordan and the UAE used by the US military. Last week, Netanyahu dismissed any prospect of an Iran-US deal and called Iran’s leaders “savages”. Netanyahu has long been sceptical of diplomacy with Iran, openly campaigning against a 2015 nuclear deal brokered by then US president Barack Obama, but he has been publicly careful not to criticise Trump while he sought a negotiated settlement.