Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed that his country would defend itself against the strikes by Israel and the US, in calls with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, according to Iranian state media. Araghchi described the military action as “a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and a clear crime against international peace and security.”Araghchi said Iran would exercise its “inherent right of self-defense and use all its defensive and military capabilities to defend the country.”Iran’s military “will regard the origin and sources of US and Israeli military operations, as well as any actions taken to counter Iran’s defensive operations, as legitimate targets,” Araghchi told the foreign ministers. Araghchi also spoke with Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who “condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis,” according to the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad.

Source: Egypt Independent February 28, 2026 14:25 UTC