Mohammad Javad Zarif says Israel’s war with Iran was a “miscalculation,” warning future aggression will trigger Iranian self-defense.
Mohammad Javad ZarifReuters
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif declared Sunday that Israel’s most recent war with Iran stemmed from “miscalculations,” warning that any future aggression would provoke Iranian self-defense, the Anadolu news agency reported.
He stressed that de-escalation would ultimately be “best for them”.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025, Zarif claimed that Israel underestimated Iran’s resilience when the conflict resumed.
“I think Israelis entered this aggression against us based on miscalculations and at the end of the day, they found out that the resistance of the people of Iran will prevent them from achieving their objectives, and that is what ended the war,” he stated.
Zarif emphasized that Iran has no interest in pursuing hostilities but is prepared to respond if attacked.
“Israel knows that Iran is capable of inflicting harm, but Iran is not interested in doing that other than in self-defense, so if they stop and forget about future aggressions, it’s best for them,” he said.
The remarks come after the 12-day conflict in June 2025, during which Israel struck Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The US later joined Israel and launched strikes on Iran’s key nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.
US President Donald Trump later said that those nuclear sites were completely destroyed, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently admitted that “serious” damage was inflicted upon Iran’s nuclear sites.
Since the cessation of hostilities, Iranian officials have been vocal about the potential for renewed conflict.
In August, Iran’s Defense Minister, Aziz Nassirzadeh, declared that Tehran has developed more advanced missiles and is prepared for any future Israeli attack.
Speaking to state media, Nassirzadeh warned, “The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured… a few years ago.”
Before that, senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Yahya Rahim Safavi warned that another war with Israel or the United States remains likely, dismissing the current ceasefire as merely a temporary pause in a broader ongoing conflict.
