Iran urges Trump not to repeat June 'mistake'; Tehran 'ready' for diplomacy

Iran's foreign minister cautioned US President Donald Trump on Wednesday not to repeat the "mistake" of previous military confrontations, emphasizing that Tehran is prepared for diplomacy, during an interview with an American news outlet.

"My message is, don't repeat the mistake you made in June. You know, if you try a failed experience, you will get the same result," Abbas Araghchi told Fox News, referring to American strikes against three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of a 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.

"You know, you destroyed facilities (in June), but technology cannot be bombed, determination also cannot be bombed," he said, addressing recent tensions and the US' stance toward Tehran.

Araghchi noted that Iran has had no positive experience with the US, but the path of negotiation remains preferable. "Iran proved to be ready for negotiation, ready for diplomacy," he said.

"We have proof that in the past 20 years, in 2025, in 2025, every time, but it was the US that always escape from diplomacy, who cut the diplomacy after the war. My message is (that) between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we do not have positive experience from the United States, but still, diplomacy is much better than war."

Regarding recent unrest in Iran, the foreign minister claimed that his government has exercised "maximum restraint" but asserted the protests were hijacked by violent actors.

Asked about the number of protesters who have been killed, the diplomat claimed that violent elements were not genuine protesters but "terror cells" fueled by an "Israeli plot".

"Terrorist elements led from outside entered these protests and started to shoot police forces, police officers and security forces … For three days, we had fighting against terrorists, not with the protesters," he said.

"That was exactly an Israeli plot. They wanted to drag the President of the United States in this conflict. So, they started to increase the number of deaths by killing ordinary people, by killing police officers," he claimed.

"Now there is calm. We are in full control. And let's hope that wisdom would prevail," he said, adding that tensions would be "disastrous for everybody."

US officials have escalated rhetoric against Iran amid the protests that have swept the country since late last month because of worsening economic conditions.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told CBS News that Washington would take "very strong action" if Iran carried out executions of protesters.

Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of backing "riots" and "terrorism" amid the protests.

Authorities have not released official figures on casualties or detainees. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a US-based group, estimates that at least 2,500 people have been killed, including protesters and security personnel, with more than 1,100 injured.

The group also said more than 18,000 have been detained, though the figures have not been independently verified and differ from other estimates.