伊朗外交部长阿巴斯·阿拉格奇周日告诉美国广播公司，任何国家的领导人都无权告诉伊朗不要对这种对其进行的打击当被问及美国总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)隔夜在社交媒体上发表的一篇称伊朗不应报复的帖子时，美国表示。
特朗普周日早些时候在他的社交媒体平台上写道，“伊朗刚刚表示，他们今天将进行非常猛烈的打击，比他们以前任何时候都要猛烈。然而，他们最好不要这样做，因为如果他们这样做，我们将用前所未有的力量打击他们!”
“我认为任何一个国家的领导人都没有权利这么说。不，我们是在自卫，我们有一切权利，一切合法的权利来自卫，阿拉格奇告诉美国广播公司新闻节目“本周”主持人乔治·斯特凡诺普洛斯。“我们所做的是自卫行为。这两者之间有着巨大的差异。”
“所以人们应该告诉美国总统，‘不要攻击。不要对其他国家进行任何侵略。但是没有人能告诉我们，你们没有权利保护自己。我们是在自卫;不惜一切代价;我们认为，我们可以无限地保卫我们的人民，保护我们的人民。"
当被斯特凡诺普洛斯问及袭击对伊朗军事基础设施造成了多大的破坏时，阿拉格奇说:“嗯，我们失去了一些指挥官，这是事实，而且名单已经公布了。但另一个事实是，我们的军事能力没有任何变化。”
Araghchi表示，伊朗能够在周六的袭击后开始报复，甚至比2025年与以色列发生12天冲突时更快。
“所以我们的军事很到位。他们有足够的能力保卫我们的国家，”阿拉格奇说。“更重要的是，他们比前一场为期12天的战争更有准备和能力，在质量和数量方面，他们处于更好的位置。你已经看到他们迄今为止是如何行动的。”
斯特凡诺普洛斯问阿拉格奇，是否仍有可能与美国谈判解决。
阿拉格奇回应道:“好吧，你来回答这个问题。我们在过去的12个月中，我们与美国进行了两次谈判，在这两次谈判中，他们都攻击了我们，这对我们来说是一次非常痛苦的经历。
阿拉格奇指出，在以色列袭击伊朗之前，美国和伊朗之间的谈判在6月份一直在进行，并表示，在阿曼的调解下进行的谈判一直在取得进展，“我们即将达成协议，我们愉快地离开了日内瓦，我们知道下次见面时可以达成协议。”
“非常不幸的是，那些反对和平、反对外交、反对谈判的人，当他们明白外交正在顺利进行时，他们决定破坏它，他们在媒体上制造声势，反对伊朗伊斯兰共和国...他们对我们进行了许多指控。他们制造了错误的信息。他们最终得到了他们想要的。他们拖住了特朗普总统，他们说服特朗普总统无缘无故地攻击我们。”
阿拉格奇还表示，在斯特凡诺普洛斯的要求下，伊朗已经开始按照过渡委员会的程序选举新的最高领导人目前谁在伊朗掌权.
斯特凡诺普洛斯早些时候就被打死的伊朗人的高估计数施压抗议伊朗政府在过去的几个月里，Araghchi进行了反击，声称伊朗面临着一场“恐怖主义行动”，试图在抗议活动中增加死亡人数，据称是在以色列的指示下进行的。Araghchi没有为这项索赔提供证据。
超过7000人在镇压抗议活动中丧生，超过11000人据人权活动家通讯社HRANA报道，死亡人数仍在调查中。
“先是抗议者、示威游行、示威游行，这是合法的;根据我们的宪法，我们的人民有权抗议，有权参加集会和示威……他们从12月28日到1月7日进行了抗议，我们进行了合法抗议。一切都很好，没有人死亡，”他说。“然后在1月8日到10日，我们面临一次恐怖行动。武装分子加入了这个问题，他们开始向我们的警察部队，我们的安全部队开枪，然后他们开始向普通人开枪，甚至向抗议者开枪。为什么?因为他们想增加死亡人数，因为美国总统已经说过，如果有杀戮，他会来，他会来救援。所以他们想把他拖到这个问题上。”
他还说，如果有人声称死亡人数比伊朗政府所说的多，“请拿出一个证据。请在我们已经公布的名单上再增加一个名字。”
斯特凡诺普洛斯问阿拉格奇，在阿亚图拉·哈梅内伊被杀后，在街上庆祝的伊朗人是否受到同样的纪律约束。Araghchi没有回答这个问题，并继续声称以色列在抗议期间下令在伊朗杀人和开枪。
Iranian foreign minister: 'We are defending ourselves'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told ABC News on Sunday that no country's leader has the right to tell Iran not to respond to the sort ofstrikes carried out against itby the United States when asked about an overnight social media post from President Donald Trump that said that Iran should not retaliate.
Trump had written on his social media platform early on Sunday, "Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"
"I don't think any leader of a country has the right to say so. No. We are defending ourselves, and we have every right, every legitimate right, to defend ourselves, Araghchi told ABC News' "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos. "What we are doing is the act of self-defense. There are huge differences between these two."
"So one should tell, you know, the president of the United States, 'Do not attack. Do not make any aggression against another country.' But nobody can tell us that you don't have any right to defend yourselves," Araghchi added. "We are defending ourselves; whatever it takes; and we see no limit for ourselves to defend our people, to protect our people."
Asked by Stephanopoulos how much damage the attacks have done on Iranian military infrastructure, Araghchi said, "Well, we have lost some commanders, that is a fact, and the names are already announced. But another fact is that nothing has changed in our military capability."
Araghchi said Iran was able to start retaliating after Saturday's attack even faster than it could during its 12-day conflict with Israel in 2025.
“So our military is in place. They are capable enough to defend our country,” Araghchi said. “Even more, they are more prepared and capable than [the] previous war before, [the] 12-day war, quality-wise, quantity-wise, they are in a better position. And you have seen how they acted so far.”
Stephanopoulos asked Araghchi if a negotiated settlement with the U.S. was still possible.
Araghchi responded, “Well, you answer this question. Wenegotiated with the United States twice in the past 12 months, and in both cases, they attacked us in the middle of negotiation, and that has become a very bitter experience for us,” Araghchi said.
Araghchi pointed out how negotiations had been going on between the U.S. and Iran in June ahead of the Israeli attack on Iran, and said that negotiations that had been going on with Omani mediation had been making progress, and “a deal was at our reach, and we left Geneva happily with the understanding that we can reach a deal next time we meet."
“And it was very unfortunate that those who are against peace, against diplomacy, against negotiation, when they understood that diplomacy is going on well, they decided to spoil it, and they created a buildup in the media, against the Islamic Republic of Iran ... And they made lots of accusations against us. They made, they created false information and disinformation. And they finally get to their, you know, to what they wanted. They dragged President Trump, they convinced President Trump to attack us unprovoked and unwarranted.”
Araghchi also said that Iran had begun following its procedures with a transitional council and electing a new supreme leader when asked by Stephanopouloswho is currently in charge in Iran.
Pressed by Stephanopoulos earlier over the high estimates of how many Iranians were killed whileprotesting the Iranian governmentover the past few months, Araghchi pushed back, alleging that Iran was faced with a “terrorist operation” which tried to increase the death toll during protests, allegedly under Israel's instruction. Araghchi did not provide evidence for that claim.
More than 7,000 people were killed during the crackdown on protests, and more than 11,000deaths are still under review, according to HRANA, the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
“It was first protesters, demonstrations, demonstrations, which was legal; according to our constitutions, our people have the right to protest and to go for gatherings and demonstrations … They did it from 28th December to 7 January, we had legal protests. Everything was fine, and nobody was killed," he said. "And then on 8th January to 10, we faced with a terrorist operation. Armed elements were added to this question, and they started to shoot at our police forces, our security forces, and then they started to shoot at ordinary people, even to protesters. Why? Because they wanted to increase the number of deaths since the president of the United States had already said that if there are killings, he will come to, he would come to rescue. So they wanted to actually drag him to this question.”
He also said that if anyone claims the number of those killed is more than what the Iranian government has said, “Please show one evidence. Please add one more name to the list we have already published.”
Stephanopoulos asked Araghchi if Iranians celebrating in the streets after Ayatollah Khamenei’s killing are subject to the same kind of discipline. Araghchi did not answer that question, and continued to allege that Israel had ordered killings and shootings in Iran during the protests.
