The United States has in recent years adopted a more confrontational posture towards Iran, but according to Tehran, the roots of this hostility go back decades. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has offered a blunt explanation, tracing Washington’s stance to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and what he described as a long-standing cycle of mistrust shaped by external influence.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Araghchi said Iran believes successive US administrations — including that of President Donald Trump — have framed their Iran policy based on misunderstanding rather than meaningful engagement with Iranian society.
“Everything began with the Islamic Revolution in Iran,” he said, referring to the 1979 uprising that overthrew the US-backed Shah and replaced the Western-aligned monarchy with the Islamic Republic. “I think Americans failed to understand why it happened. That’s when the hostility started.”
According to the minister, the past four decades have been marked by sustained pressure from Washington. “In the last 47 years, we have been the target of their hostility,” he said. “They tried coups, they supported Saddam Hussein in the eight-year war against us, imposed all kinds of sanctions and maximum pressure. But they failed.”
Blames Israeli lobbies for US perception
Araghchi argued that American views on Iran have been shaped more by outside narratives than by direct knowledge of the country.
“They don’t have real information about Iran and the Iranian people,” he said. “They are fed with misinformation campaigns, mostly by Israeli lobbies.”
Despite the sharp criticism, the Iranian minister indicated that Tehran is open to improving ties if Washington changes its approach. His comments come as Iran and the US prepare for a third round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, mediated by Oman, against the backdrop of renewed military tensions.
“The only solution is dialogue — but dialogue based on respect,” he said. “If they speak to the Iranian people with respect, they will see the result. We will respond in the same language.”
Missile programme ‘purely defensive’
Araghchi also dismissed allegations that Iran is developing long-range missiles capable of reaching the United States, calling such reports “fake news.” He maintained that Iran has deliberately capped the range of its missiles at under 2,000 kilometres and that the programme is strictly defensive.
“Our missile capability is for defence and deterrence,” he said, adding that it is not intended as a global threat.
Referring to last June’s conflict, which he blamed on Israel and the US, Araghchi said Iran’s military posture is guided by self-defence. He accused Israel of being the primary driver of instability in the region and asserted that Tehran would continue strengthening its defensive capabilities.
The remarks come at a sensitive time in US-Iran relations, with diplomacy and tensions unfolding in parallel.