If Israel ignores their master, Iran will school them: Araghchi warns US to "muzzle its pets" in Tel Aviv after comments on Khamenei
Tehran, July 1
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday issued a sharp warning to the United States, urging Donald Trump to "muzzle its pets" in Israel after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was "marked for death".
In a post on X, Araghchi said the United States had committed itself under the terms of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached to end the hostilities in West Asia, as well as restraining Israel, warning that any threat against Iran's leadership would draw an immediate response.
"The terms of the Islamabad MoU are crystal clear and public for all to see. POTUS has committed the U.S. to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them. Any threat against our People and Leadership will receive Immediate Powerful Response," Araghchi said in the post while sharing the text of Katz's remarks from a report.
His remarks came after Israeli Defence Minister Katz on Monday reportedly referred to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei and said he was "marked for death".
Katz also described the Iranians as "good merchants" attempting to extract concessions during negotiations and reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
"If they do it through an agreement, all the better," Katz said, as per the text shared by Araghchi.
Meanwhile, CNN, citing a diplomatic source familiar with the discussions, reported that US and Iranian officials are holding indirect, lower-level technical talks in Doha through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
The source told CNN that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, who are not directly participating in the talks, met Qatar's Prime Minister in Doha on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for Wednesday's indirect negotiations.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It is a bold statement from Iran! But honestly, this kind of talk doesn’t help anyone. Israel and Iran always seem to be on the war path, and the US is caught in the middle, trying to manage its allies while keeping the peace. The whole thing feels like a dangerous game. As an Indian, I just hope things don’t go crazy and hurt our energy supplies or diaspora there. 🤞
While I don't agree with the aggressive tone, the “Islamabad MoU” is key here. If the US committed to restraining Israel, then the US needs to enforce that commitment. The whole world wants peace, but when statements like "marked for death" are thrown around, it breaks any trust. Iran is just responding in kind. The India-Iran relationship is long-standing; we need stable energy partners, not a war zone. 👀
Haha, "pets in Tel Aviv" — that is some diplomatic language! 😅 But on a serious note, both sides are just posturing for their domestic audiences. The real job is being done in Doha with the indirect talks. India should watch these negotiations very carefully because any disruption in the Gulf destabilizes the entire region and directly affects our energy security and the lakhs of Indians working there.
The constant back-and-forth threats are exhausting. Iran sees the US as Israel's enabler, and Israel feels threatened by Iran’s presence near its borders. But let's be real—calling the head of state “marked for death” is a huge line to cross. Iran’s response is predictable. The global community needs to step up. India has friendly relations with both, and we should use our diplomatic channel to encourage calm. Too many lives depend on it.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.