Iran says that the US and Israel crossed a ‘big red line’

| Published June 23, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites in strikes overnight with massive bunker busting bombs, joining an Israeli assault in a significant new escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Speaking in Istanbul, Iran’s Araqchi said Tehran was weighing its options for retaliation and would consider diplomacy only after carrying out its response. Analysis by Shirli Sitbon.

Iran’s top diplomat has issued a dire warning to the international community, declaring that the United States and Israel have “crossed a big red line” after coordinated airstrikes targeted key Iranian nuclear facilities. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the attacks as a “grave crime” and a “direct assault on Iran’s sovereignty,” further escalating an already volatile standoff in the Middle East. As Tehran signals the collapse of diplomacy and prepares for high-level talks in Moscow, fears mount over the potential for a broader regional conflict.

🚨 What Iran’s Foreign Minister Said

  • On June 22, 2025, at the OIC meeting in Istanbul, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the US and Israel for striking three Iranian nuclear facilities (Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan), saying they “crossed a very big red line”

  • He called the attacks a “grave crime” and accused the US of dealing a “serious blow to international peace and security”

  • Araghchi also stated diplomacy is now “dead” and any calls to return to negotiations are “irrelevant”

🎯 Iran’s Next Move

  • Araghchi is on his way to Moscow to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin as of June 22–23, signalling Iran’s push to secure Russian backing.

  • He vowed that Iran will defend itself “by all means necessary”

 


⚠️ Why This Matters

  • US airstrikes mark a dramatic escalation: for the first time US warplanes hit Iran’s underground centrifuge site at Fordow, alongside Natanz and Isfahan

  • Earlier, Israel had already launched its own strikes, and Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel in mid-June .

  • Iran’s parliament even approved considering a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which if executed could significantly impact global oil markets


🌍 Global Reactions

  • The UN Secretary-General and major Western European countries have warned of a catastrophic regional escalation, urging restraint and diplomacy .

  • Russia and China, along with Iran-aligned factions, have condemned the strikes as violations of international law.


🧩 Bottom Line:

As Iran doubles down on its rhetoric and diplomacy with Russia, and the U.S. and Israel stand by the strikes as necessary acts of deterrence, the region teeters on the edge of a deeper and potentially uncontrollable conflict. With diplomacy declared “irrelevant” by Tehran and the Strait of Hormuz hanging in the balance, the coming days may define not only the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions but also the stability of the global order. The world watches closely — hoping that red lines drawn in anger do not lead to war written in permanence.


SOURCES: FRANCE 24 – Iran says that the US and Israel crossed a ‘big red line’
EURONEWS – ‘There is no red line that they have not crossed’ – Iran’s foreign minister
INQUIRER – US, Israel crossed ‘big red line,’ Iran FM says as he heads to Moscow

 

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