Araghchi says bomb plot near his residence was foiled during Israel war
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
A bomb was planted near the residence of Iran’s foreign minister during the 12-day war with Israel but was discovered before it could explode, Abbas Araghchi said in an interview.
Although the interview was scheduled to air on Iran's state TV, the broadcaster’s decision to withhold it has raised eyebrows among moderate and pro-government news outlets.
“A bomb was planted in a house across from ours, but it was discovered before it exploded," Araghchi said in the interview which is the latest episode of an online program titled The War Story.
He also said that during his overland trips, several drones were detected flying overhead. While Araghchi himself did not notice the drones, he said his security team identified them using specialized equipment and, on several occasions, had to turn off their mobile phones for security reasons.
On June 21, Araghchi visited Istanbul to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). His trip to Turkey came after his visit to Geneva, Switzerland, where he met European powers in the middle of the Israel war.
ZDF reported at the time that Araghchi had informed Israeli officials that he would be flying to Geneva, as Israel controlled the Iranian airspace during the 12-day war that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 23.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” US President Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Araghchi confirmed at the time that Iran would halt military operations starting at 4:00 am Tehran time on June 24.
Ceasefire violation caused by 'misunderstanding'
In his recent interview, Araghchi revealed a misunderstanding between him and Iran's military forces, which led to continued Iranian strikes past the intended ceasefire time.
“There was a misunderstanding between me and the armed forces. Our friends had thought the ceasefire was in effect from 4 am GMT, so they continued attacks against the (Israeli) regime until 7:30 am Tehran time,” Araghchi said.
He said another misunderstanding occurred on the afternoon of June 24.
On the first afternoon of the ceasefire, Araghchi said, “the (Israeli) regime claimed Iran had launched missiles and violated the agreement, and they sent their jets to carry out attacks."
"I immediately messaged (Trump's envoy Steve) Witkoff and said Israel was making excuses, accusing Iran of violations that never happened. I warned that if they take action, we will respond immediately and more forcefully than before. Iran is not Lebanon — they can’t repeat what they did there.”
He said Trump then said in a social media post that he had ordered Israeli pilots to turn back, effectively halting the operation.
“This showed, once again, that everything had been coordinated with the Americans from the very beginning," Araghchi said.
The 12-day war was started by Israel and capped off by US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The United States had signaled it would join only if the campaign was going well, The Washington Post reported on Saturday citing Israeli and American officials involved in the operation.
Israel was preparing a final wave of attacks aimed at toppling Iran’s ruling system when Trump announced the ceasefire, the Post reported citing the officials.
Israel's surprise campaign of airstrikes and drone attacks killed hundreds of Iranians including civilians, military personnel and nuclear scientists. Iran's retaliatory missile strikes killed 27 Israeli civilians.
An Israeli citizen of Iranian origin has been charged with espionage, accused of passing sensitive details about Israeli war plans to an Iranian intelligence operative.
He is accused of revealing the identity of an Iranian sailor on an oil tanker who allegedly aided Israel, disclosing Israeli military strike plans and commando missions, providing drone flight paths from Azerbaijan into Iran, and confirming that Israel’s Nevatim Air Base was hit during Iran’s April missile barrage last year.
The unnamed suspect was arrested earlier in July, and the Attorney General's Office requested that his detention be extended until the end of the proceedings.
He moved to Israel in 1999 and according to court documents, rekindled ties to his birthplace over a decade later on a trip to Turkey, when he visited the Iranian embassy.
According to the prosecutors’ report, he later began a relationship with an Iranian woman who introduced him to Iranian operatives, whom he met in September during a visit to see her in Turkey.
As with previous cases brought before the courts in Israel, the accused maintained contact with the agents through Telegram.
In May, just one month before Israel’s surprise attacks on Iran, the defendant told his Iranian contact that Israel planned to carry out an attack in Iran. He later updated the agent that Israel was planning a commando operation targeting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
The attorney's office said that "his dangerousness is heightened in light of the period in which he committed the offenses, during which war is being waged in the State of Israel on several fronts in general and with Iran in particular, and while missiles were being fired at Israel from Iran."
This month, two additional espionage cases were revealed. Indictments were filed against an Israeli soldier who passed information to the Iranians in exchange for money—including imagery of Iranian missile landings and impacts in Israel—and a teacher from the Bedouin community in the Negev who filmed fighter jet takeoffs.
More than 25 cases of Iranian recruitment attempts have been reported by Israeli security authorities over the last year, with over 35 indictments against Israeli citizens filed.
It has led Israeli authorities to launch a campaign earlier in july urging citizens to resist the lure of spying for Iran amid the surge in efforts by Tehran to recruit Israelis for espionage.
Iran’s judiciary chief said last week that around 2,000 people were arrested during and after the 12-day war with Israel, with some detainees accused of collaborating with the Jewish state potentially facing the death penalty.
Last month's US air strikes targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure dampened foreign support for Tehran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday in an interview with Fox News.
"I think everyone, China, Russia, others, even North Korea, have become a little bit more cautious about supporting Iran, especially after our B-2s flew halfway around the world and conducted an operation and left before anyone found out about it," he said.
The strikes—dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer—saw B-2 stealth bombers target three key Iranian nuclear sites using 30,000-pound “bunker buster” munitions.
The June 22 attacks followed an Israeli missile barrage that had triggered a 12-day war with Iran. A ceasefire was reached on June 24.
Speaking with Lara Trump on Fox News’My View, Rubio said the operation had a deterrent effect, especially during the height of the fighting. “They all kind of took a pass and said, we don't want to get involved in this thing,” he said of Iran’s traditional allies.
“President Trump reminded them” that the United States has “the most extraordinary military capabilities in the world.”
The June attack came after five inconclusive rounds of nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has banned the use of mobile phones inside parliamentary chambers and committee meetings due to rising security concerns, state media reported on Sunday.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf backed the decision, citing security issues as the main reason. “The matter of mobile phone use by lawmakers has been discussed by the parliamentary presidium. Regardless of security concerns, we are in the chamber to legislate, and mobile phone use is inappropriate,” Ghalibaf said during Sunday’s open session.
He added, “Even if the security issues are resolved, the presidium still opposes the use of mobile phones inside the chamber. Our dear people should know that when MPs are present in the chamber or in committees, they cannot use mobile phones.”
The restriction comes amid growing fears in Tehran over Israeli intelligence operations. In recent weeks, Iranian media and officials have warned of unprecedented Israeli surveillance capabilities.
A report by The Sunday Times saidon Saturday that Israeli intelligence had deeply infiltrated Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure through complex operations over the past year.
Earlier this month, Abdollah Shahbazi, a former senior intelligence official and director of a state-affiliated research institute, warned on social media that Iranian officials should avoid carrying electronic devices for fear of being targeted. “It has now become clear that, in addition to drones and missiles, a highly active Mossad network is operating on the ground inside Iran,” Shahbazi wrote.
The ban has sparked criticism from some parliamentarians, who argue it hinders their ability to communicate with constituents.
Hamidreza Goudarzi, a lawmaker from Aligoudarz, said during Sunday’s session: “Not having our phones with us has become a problem. People expect us to be available and responsive, and this ban makes that difficult. I ask the presidium to step in and resolve this issue.”
Ghalibaf, however, said that the decision was made in consultation with security agencies. “Our colleagues in the security apparatus have specific views about mobile phone use after entering the chamber. We are following up with the presidium to make decisions accordingly,” he said.
The restriction appears to be part of broader efforts by Iranian authorities to tighten control over sensitive communications.
While the move has faced resistance from lawmakers concerned about accessibility, Ghalibaf said that constituents could still contact their MPs through office staff.“Citizens should understand that their representatives cannot speak on mobile phones while in the chamber, but their office teams can respond on their behalf,” he said.
Israel was preparing a final wave of attacks aimed at toppling Iran’s ruling system when US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, The Washington Post reported, citing Israeli and American officials involved in the operation.
“When Trump declared a ceasefire, Israel was moving into a final phase of attacks intended to topple the regime,” said David Ignatius in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on Friday evening.
The final phase, which Israeli planners believed could bring down the Islamic Republic, was halted when Trump intervened.
The ceasefire announced by Trump on June 23 ended a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran that was capped off by US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The United States had signaled it would join only if the campaign was going well, officials were quoted by the Post as saying.
At the height of the conflict, both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump hinted at favoring Iranian regime change.
"It’s not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social in late June.
According to the Washington Post, Israel’s 12-day assault dealt such severe damage to Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure that it set Tehran’s weapons program back by at least one to two years.
“Iran is no longer a threshold nuclear state,” one Israeli source told the paper. The official said the campaign eliminated nearly all of Iran’s first- and second-tier nuclear scientists and crippled both enrichment and weaponization capabilities.
Strikes on facilities at Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan and hidden uranium caches were paired with targeting of electromagnetic pulse and nuclear fusion research. The Israeli source said the intent was to dismantle not only Iran’s hardware but also the human and logistical backbone of its nuclear efforts.
The Post described the operation as combining aerial bombing, intelligence penetration and algorithm war.
After the first two days, Israel achieved total air superiority and destroyed around half of Iran’s ballistic missiles and 80 percent of its launchers, according to the report.
Israel's surprise campaign of airstrikes and drone attacks killed hundreds of Iranians including civilians, military personnel and nuclear scientists. Iran's retaliatory missile strikes killed 27 Israeli civilians.
Tehran has begun installing loudspeakers in major city squares to help inform the public during emergencies when authorities cut internet access, a city council member said on Saturday.
“With internet outages during crises, we must use loudspeakers for public alerts,” said Mehdi Babaei, a member of Tehran’s City Council. “A number of these loudspeakers have been installed in main squares and the work is still ongoing.”
Babaei said the system is designed to function both in normal and emergency conditions. “These systems will play the call to prayer during routine times,” he said. “In crises, we need to decide how to use them for public announcements.”
He said mobile networks could also be disrupted during wartime. “In the 12-day war, the communications ministry had to limit internet access at times,” he said. “We may even have to temporarily block mobile phones. So we need different ways to alert people.”
“These systems can play both sirens and voice messages,” he said. “It depends on what city managers or crisis teams decide during emergencies.”
During last month's 12-day war, the Iranian government imposed a widespread internet blackout across the country, cutting off mobile networks and home internet services for millions.
The shutdown left people unable to access information, contact family members, or carry out basic tasks such as banking and navigation.
Monitoring group NetBlocks said it was the most severe connectivity crisis since the November 2019 protests.