‘Sole Purpose Is To Justify Op Epic Mistake’: Iran Rejects US Claim Of 'Pre-emptive' Attack

Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 07:36 IST

Araghchi's remarks came after Trump said earlier this week that he authorised military action against Iran because he believed Tehran was preparing to strike first.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday rejected claims by the United States that Tehran was planning a “pre-emptive" attack on American forces, calling the allegation a lie used to justify Washington’s military operation against Iran.

Dismissing the claim as a “sheer and utter lie", Araghchi called Operation Epic Fury a grave misadventure.

“The claim that Iran was planning on attacking the US or US Forces, whether preventively or preemptively, is a sheer and utter lie. The sole purpose of that lie is to justify Operation Epic Mistake, a misadventure engineered by Israel and paid for by ordinary Americans," he said in a post on X.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he authorised military action against Iran because he believed Tehran was preparing to strike first.

“I felt it (military action in Iran) was something we had to do. I didn’t feel we had a choice. If we didn’t do it they (Iran) would have done it to us. I felt based on the negotiations that were being had by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Marco and Pete and everybody was involved, I felt that they were going to that they were looking to tap us along before they hit. And I thought they were going to hit and if they hit us first that would have been a very bad thing," Trump had said while addressing a press briefing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended the move, saying Washington believed an Israeli military action would trigger an Iranian attack on American forces. Rubio said the United States decided to strike first to avoid higher casualties.

“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties," he had said.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the stance of Trump, adding that the “feeling" was based on “facts".

“It was not the first time the President has said that he chose to launch Operation Epic Fury because he felt as though Iran was going to strike the United States and our assets in the region first. This was a feeling the President had based on facts–facts provided to him by his top negotiators who had been engaged with the Iranian regime in a good faith effort," she said.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasised the country’s historical resilience amid the escalating conflict.

“Iran is the heir to a civilization at least 6,000 years old. Through the trials of history, no power has ever succeeded in erasing this storied name. Anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history. Aggressors have come and gone; Iran has endured."

Tensions in West Asia have intensified following the US-led strikes on Iran, with Tehran launching retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases, diplomatic missions and energy infrastructure in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

The conflict has also disrupted global energy markets, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.

(With inputs from agencies)

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