Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday, August 31, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of manoeuvring Washington into war with Iran on Israel’s behalf, describing the Israeli leader as a “serpent”.
“In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the U.S. Administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
He said Netanyahu had openly spoken about influencing US policy through extensive appearances on American television.
“Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he ‘influenced’ America through 1,000 hours of airtime on U.S. networks,” Araghchi said.
“In English, he praises POTUS’ leadership. Serpent,” he added, referring to US President Donald Trump.
Araghchi’s remarks appeared to refer to Netanyahu’s comments in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, in which the Israeli leader said he had spent close to four decades dealing with Iran.
“It took me a long time to get our security establishment to deal with Iran itself,” Netanyahu said.
He added that bringing the United States to the same position had also taken time, saying his extensive appearances on American television had helped him influence public opinion.
The exchange comes amid renewed tensions between Tehran and Washington. US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, August 30, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory attacks targeting US bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, according to reports.
The latest escalation follows months of conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. An April ceasefire ended the most intense phase of the fighting, but sporadic attacks, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, have continued to threaten prospects for a lasting settlement.
