Iran Denies US "Pre-emptive" Attack Claims, Calls Operation "Epic Mistake"

Dismissing it as a lie, Araghchi called Operation Epic Fury a grave misadventure.

In a post on X, the Iranian Foreign Minister said, "The claim that Iran was planning on attacking the U.S. or U.S. Forces, whether preventively or preemptively, is a sheer and utter lie. The sole purpose of that lie is to justify Operation Epic Mistake, a misadventure engineered by Israel and paid for by ordinary Americans."

His remarks come amid the backdrop of US President Donald Trump on Monday during a press briefing saying that the military actions in Iran were something he "felt" had to be done.

Trump had told reporters, "I felt it (military action in Iran) was something we had to do. I didn't feel we had a choice. If we didn't do it they (Iran) would have done it to us. I felt based on the negotiations that were being had by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Marco and Pete and everybody was involved, I felt that they were going to that they were looking to tap us along before they hit. And I thought they were going to hit and if they hit us first that would have been a very bad thing."

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties."

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the stance of Trump, adding that the "feeling" was based on "facts".

She told the media, "It was not the first time the President has said that he chose to launch Operation Epic Fury because he felt as though Iran was going to strike the United States and our assets in the region first. This was a feeling the President had based on facts--facts provided to him by his top negotiators who had been engaged with the Iranian regime in a good faith effort."

Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recalled the civilizational history of Iran and underlined, "aggressors have come and gone; Iran has endured".

He said in a post on X, "Iran is the heir to a civilization at least 6,000 years old. Through the trials of history, no power has ever succeeded in erasing this storied name. Anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history. Aggressors have come and gone; Iran has endured."

The developments follow amid an escalating security situation in West Asia, which has resulted in the conflict being now expanded beyond Iran, with Iranian retaliatory strikes--using missiles and drones--targeting U.S. military bases, embassies, and civilian/energy infrastructure in neighbouring Gulf nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

The conflict has caused significant disruptions to global energy supplies, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, where approximately 20% of the world's oil transits.

- ANI