Iran's Araghchi: Rubio admitted US entered 'war of choice' for Israel

2026-03-03 - 08:42

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered a sharp rebuke Tuesday to the Trump administration's rationale for military action, claiming US Secretary of State Marco Rubio effectively acknowledged the offensive against Iran serves Israeli interests. In a social media post, Araghchi stated: "Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel." He emphasized there was "never" any Iranian threat justifying the attack, arguing that "both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters." Accusation of 'War of Choice' Araghchi urged American citizens to "take back their country," insisting they "deserve better" than a conflict fought for foreign interests. The comments follow Saturday's joint US-Israeli strikes that have reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian officials. The Iranian Red Crescent now reports 555 dead, including 165 schoolgirls, while six US service members have been killed and several wounded in retaliatory attacks. Trump's Call and Regional Fallout President Trump separately appealed to Iranians to "seize this moment" and "take back your country" in a social media message. Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites across Gulf countries, with Bahrain and Qatar reporting interception of over 170 projectiles. The widening conflict has drawn criticism from Democrats and raised concerns about an open-ended engagement for Israeli objectives.