Iran says ‘does not want to harm ordinary Americans’; blames Washington, Israel for economic crisis

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared on Monday that Tehran has no intention of targeting the American public, seeking to drive a wedge between the U.S. population and its political leadership as the regional war entered its tenth day.

In a post on the social media platform X, Araghchi asserted that the Islamic Republic's grievances are not with the electorate, but with the architects of the ongoing military campaign. "Iran does not want to harm ordinary Americans who overwhelmingly voted to end involvement in costly foreign wars," Araghchi wrote.

The foreign minister followed the conciliatory note with a sharp critique of the economic fallout resulting from the conflict, which began Feb. 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Araghchi pinned the blame for domestic financial instability in the United States on the alliance between Washington and Jerusalem.

"Blame for surging gas prices, costlier mortgages, and pummeled 401(k)’s lies squarely with Israel and its dupes in Washington," he added.

The remarks come as global energy markets continue to reel, with oil prices surging past $100 a barrel following Israeli strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure and retaliatory Iranian drone attacks on Gulf shipping and desalination plants. Despite the diplomatic overture toward the American public, Araghchi remains part of the three-member council overseeing Iran's war effort under the newly named Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed previous Iranian rhetorical shifts, recently reiterating his demand for the "unconditional surrender" of the Iranian government.