Araqchi reveals the scenes of the war: "An Arab leader advised us not to respond"
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi revealed details of a conversation he said had between him and a regional leader before the outbreak of the war last February.
Araqchi referred to this commander - who did not name - who informed him that Iran would be attacked targeting its nuclear, missile and oil facilities, and advised it not to respond, while Araqchi assured him that Tehran had already defined a response formula based on targeting the corresponding targets, including US bases in the region.
Araqchi's remarks came during an interview conducted with him by Iranian researcher and historian Javad Moghoei as part of the "War Story 2" program, which is broadcast on several Iranian channels, and deals with the scenes of the 40-day war, the negotiations and the political and military decisions that preceded it.
Tehran has also made it clear that it will attack US bases in the region if the US takes part in any military action against Iran, Araqchi said, noting that Iranian missiles are capable of reaching those bases even if they do not reach US territory.
Araqchi said he also told the regional commander that targeting Iranian oil facilities or preventing Tehran from exporting its oil would disrupt oil exports in the entire region.
The regional leader was quoted as saying angrily: "No one can threaten us, and if we threaten anyone, Europe, America and even China will stand against them because of our trade relations and our control over the flow of global oil."
Iran's foreign minister noted that he ended the conversation by saying, in what he described as a sarcastic response: "We don't want to hit you, we will strike the American bases that are, unfortunately, on your territory."
Araqchi explained that some countries in the region later received assurances and analyses from the United States and Israel that any military confrontation would be short-lived, which, according to him, contributed to a change in their positions on the possibility of war.
Tehran warns Vance against Kushner, Witkov
Tehran sent a secret letter to US Vice President J.D. Vance during the round of talks in Switzerland warning that the continued participation of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could hinder the chances of reaching a permanent agreement.
The website quoted an Iranian official as saying that Tehran informed Vance that Witkov and Kushner are more interested in exploiting the details of the negotiations to achieve gains in the financial markets than in seeking a political agreement, noting that Kushner conveyed information about the negotiations to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Iranian official pointed out that his country chose to communicate with Vance, because it believes that he is dealing with the file in a more realistic and professional manner, although it believes that he does not necessarily have the ability to overcome President Trump's positions.
The Iranian letter included accusations of financial benefit from inside information related to the military escalation and market movements, especially in the energy and stock markets.
The Iranian official claimed that about $9 billion in profits were made as a result of trades based on war-related information, and demanded Tehran, through intermediaries, to obtain part of the money as it was the result of alleged manipulation.
The Iranian official said the Iranian delegation had provided information on its stockpile of enriched uranium to show its readiness to reach an agreement, while Witkov had previously stated that information on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium could indicate Tehran possesses military nuclear capabilities.
Iran receives proposals for de-escalation
In addition, Iran confirmed that it has received proposals and ideas from a number of mediators with the aim of calming tensions with the United States, and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that Iran's diplomatic efforts are continuing in conjunction with the response by its armed forces.
Baghaei's statement during his weekly press conference on Monday (July 20th) came in response to a question about recent reports indicating that Qatar is putting forward new initiatives to resume negotiations, including speculation about a proposed 10-day ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.
"I reiterate that the diplomatic apparatus, in coordination with the defenders of the homeland in the armed forces, continues to perform its duties," Baqaei continued, adding: "The proposals put forward through the mediators have been conveyed to us and we have received them. But I prefer not to go into detail at this stage."
Rubio: We are open to dialogue again
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday evening that the United States remained ready for talks with Iran and "we are always open to diplomacy," but added that "it has to be an agreement that Iran is willing to abide by."
Rubio said ahead of his departure for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting: "We have made multiple attempts with Iran, and we will continue our efforts. If this door opens, we will be happy to see it open."