Iranian Foreign Minister: We have won the war and diplomacy

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that his country emerged “victorious” from the war launched against it by the United States and Israel on February 28. This statement came during a speech Araghchi delivered at a ceremony for signing a memorandum of understanding at Iran’s Ministry of Health, concerning cooperation in the fields of diplomacy and health to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the war, according to the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.

Araghchi stated that Iran had proven itself during the recent war, demonstrating that it is “an invincible force.” He added, “I have heard repeatedly from officials in other countries say that Iranians achieved a miracle and astonished the entire world.” He continued, “No one believed that Iran would stand up to the United States in this manner, and that it would ultimately force the enemy to seek negotiations.”

Araghchi noted that U.S. President Donald Trump had called on Iran at the outset of the war to “unconditionally surrender,” adding, “But after 20 days, the enemy itself was begging for negotiations.” He concluded, “I heard this from various officials, who told us: You have won both the war and the diplomacy.”

Since February 28, the region has witnessed waves of military confrontations, accompanied by stalled negotiations between the United States and Iran. On that day, the United States and Israel launched an aggression against Iran, which resulted in 3,000 deaths, according to Tehran, which retaliated with attacks that killed Americans and Israelis. Iran also launched attacks on what it described as military facilities and equipment in Gulf states, though some of these strikes resulted in civilian casualties and damaged civilian infrastructure.