Iran's Araghchi: Netanyahu drew the US into the war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew the United States into the conflict, calling it a strategic "miscalculation" in an interview with Al Jazeera, AzerNEWS reports.

"Americans were drawn into this war by Israel, or more precisely by Netanyahu himself," Araghchi said. "I think they themselves don't even know what their ultimate objective is." He added Washington shifts its goals daily, citing "regime change … dividing Iran … collapse of the government … [and] unconditional surrender."

"Those who are demanding unconditional surrender from us now seek help … to reopen the Strait of Hormuz," he said, adding the US "must acknowledge that it made a mistake." Araghchi noted countries including China could mediate, saying Beijing had previously played a "positive" role in brokering agreements between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called for a new international framework governing the Strait of Hormuz once the current conflict ends. In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Araghchi stated that "after the end of the war, we should design new mechanisms for the Strait of Hormuz and the way ships pass to ensure permanent peaceful passage under specific regulations."

He emphasized that this must account for "the interests of Iran and the region." Araghchi stressed that any new protocol should be developed between countries on both sides of the strait, "because they are the main parties to the issue."

"We do not believe in a ceasefire. We believe in the end of the war; the end of the war means precisely the end of the war on all fronts … to witness peace throughout the region in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Iran and other countries in the region," he added.