Araghchi accuses Israel of ‘manipulating’ US into war with Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Abdullateef Fowewe
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of boasting that he influenced the United States into joining the February 2026 war against Iran.
In a post reacting to a video clip, Araghchi alleged that Netanyahu claimed in Hebrew to have spent about “1,000 hours” appearing on American television in an effort to shape US policy towards Iran.
Araghchi said the Israeli leader’s alleged remarks contrasted with Netanyahu’s public praise of the US president’s leadership, describing the Israeli prime minister as a “serpent.”
The Iranian foreign minister’s comments come amid continuing tensions between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv following the escalation of the US-Iran conflict earlier this year.
Iran has repeatedly accused Netanyahu of pushing Washington towards a direct military confrontation with Tehran, arguing that the Israeli leader had long championed tougher action against the Islamic Republic, including calls linked to regime-change objectives.
The allegations underline Tehran’s position that Israel played a central role in encouraging US involvement in the 2026 hostilities, although the claims were made from the Iranian government’s perspective and could not be independently verified.
