Netanyahu-U.S. Influence: Iran Accuses PM of Double-Talk

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded Monday to remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Sunday evening interview on Channel 14's "The Patriots" program. The senior Tehran diplomat called Netanyahu a "snake" and accused him of speaking with two faces when addressing the United States.

Araghchi posted on X a segment from the interview in which Netanyahu discussed his long-standing efforts to elevate the Iranian threat on the international agenda. During the broadcast, the prime minister described his extensive public diplomacy campaign in American media over the years, emphasizing his attempts to shape public opinion in the United States.

"In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly and proudly declares that he has trapped the American administration into a war with Iran on Israel's behalf," the Iranian foreign minister wrote in his post. "Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he 'influenced' America through 1,000 hours of broadcasting on American networks. In English, he praises the leadership of the President of the United States. A snake."

According to Araghchi, there exists a fundamental gap between the messages Netanyahu conveys to the Israeli public in Hebrew and how he addresses international audiences in English. While in Hebrew, he claims, Netanyahu brags about his influence over the American administration, in English he is careful to heap praise on President Trump.

The Iranian foreign minister's statement comes amid severe tensions between Washington and Tehran. President Trump recently announced a dramatic economic initiative he termed "Economic D-Day" against Iran, warning any country that continues trading with Tehran of serious economic consequences.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently clarified that the goal of the economic measures is to topple the ayatollah regime. "It's a one-two punch. We have the blockade, and we're going to have the toughest sanctions in history," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.

The issue of whether the United States is being "dragged" into war with Iran has repeatedly surfaced in recent months, with various actors in the international arena expressing concern about the ongoing escalation in the Middle East.