Iran Reacts to Trump Speech: ‘Pure Deception’

Iran Reacts to Trump Speech: ‘Pure Deception’

NEWSWEEK -May 14th2025

By :Amira El-Fekki

Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister has condemned U.S. President Donald Trump‘s recent remarks about Tehran, accusing Washington of decades of sabotage and of covering up Israeli crimes in the region.

President Donald Trump labeled Iran as the “most destructive force in the region”, while on a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.

Why It Matters

The remarks underscore tensions between the U.S. and Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks with Trump saying he hopes to achieve an agreement that would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. If talks fail, he has threatened possible military action. Iran says it seeks only a peaceful nuclear program, but will defend itself against any attack.

What To Know

“The fact that the US turns a blind eye to Israel’s threats and all the crimes committed by Israel in the region, while trying to portray Iran as a threat, is pure deception,” Araghchi told reporters on Wednesday, according to the semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency.

Trump, who chose Gulf countries as his destination during his first overseas trip, blamed the region’s troubles on “the past chaos of Iran’s leaders,” and said he wants to offer “a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future,” in a speech at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh.

Araghchi, who leads the Iranian negotiations‘ delegation, traveled to some Gulf countries a few days before Trump’s Middle East tour. His visit was described by Iranian media as part of Tehran’s ongoing policy of strengthening ties with neighboring countries and updating them on the Tehran-Washington talks.

Arab countries have encouraged the talks, with Oman emerging as a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran as well between the U.S. and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, with whom a ceasefire agreement was reached last week.