Iran Holds US ‘Fully Responsible’ For Nuclear Site Strikes: ‘We Have To Respond’

<p>Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the US is fully responsible for the consequences of strikes on the nuclear sites of the country. Addressing a news briefing at a conference in Turkey, Araghchi said that a lawless administration in Washington is responsible for the dangerous consequences.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,&rdquo; Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, as quoted by news agency The Associated Press.</p>
<p>This is the first public statement made by a high-ranking Iranian official since the United States carried out its strikes overnight.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Araghchi, speaking to journalists in Istanbul, also said that while the &ldquo;door to diplomacy&rdquo; should always be open, &ldquo;this is not the case right now.&rdquo; He also claimed that with the overnight strikes on Iran, there is no red lined that the United States has not crossed in its recent actions against the Islamic Republic.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities&hellip; We have to respond based on our legitimate right for self-defense,&rdquo; Araghchi said.</p>
<p>Speaking about the future plan, the foreign minister said that he will travel to Moscow later on Sunday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said that Iran enjoys a strategic partnership and that both the countries always consult and coordinate their positions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,&rdquo; he said, referring to Russia.</p>
<p>Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that key nuclear sites of Iran were &ldquo;completely and fully obliterated&rdquo; by U.S. strikes. Speaking at the White House hours after the attacks, he threatened more strikes and said Iran faced a choice between &ldquo;peace or tragedy.&rdquo;</p>