Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a fierce, highly undiplomatic warning to Washington on Wednesday, declaring that US President Donald Trump is obligated under the recently enacted Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restrain Israel. Araghchi warned that any further military threats targeting Iran’s top leadership would trigger an immediate, devastating response from Tehran.
The public diplomatic clash erupted on social media after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz targeted Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, directly stating that the Iranian leader was “marked for death.” Katz also reiterated that Tel Aviv would not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran, though he noted that preventing it via a negotiated agreement remained the preferable path.
Responding directly on X, Araghchi shared the text of Katz’s remarks and issued a blunt ultimatum, writing that the 14-point framework of the Islamabad MoU signed electronically by Washington and Tehran on June 18 to halt the regional war places the burden of Israeli containment squarely on the White House. He stated that the terms of the Islamabad MoU are crystal clear and public for all to see, adding that the POTUS has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv, and if they ignore their master, Iran will school them. He concluded with a sharp final warning, noting that any threat against their people and leadership will receive an immediate powerful response.
The language highlights deep structural tensions beneath the surface of the Pakistani-mediated truce, which officially entered into force to end the cross-border warfare that broke out earlier this year. Under the conditions of the Islamabad agreement, both the United States and Iran committed to a cessation of hostilities, mutual respect for state sovereignty, and indirect tracks to handle regional security and sanctions relief.
Araghchi’s fiery rhetoric comes at a highly sensitive moment. Lower-level, indirect technical delegations from the US and Iran are currently meeting in Doha, Qatar, through Qatari and Pakistani mediators to hammer out the complex implementation details of the MoU. Key points on the table include regulating commercial shipping corridors through the Strait of Hormuz and establishing a permanent, enforceable regional ceasefire.
While US officials, including President Trump, have recently indicated that diplomatic tracks are moving along, the Israeli security establishment has remained deeply skeptical of any long-term pact with Tehran. Defense Minister Katz previously instructed the military to prepare for potential independent action if Israel’s security red lines regarding the Iranian nuclear file are bypassed by Washington’s broader strategic goals. With Tel Aviv explicitly threatening Iran’s highest political and religious leadership, Tehran is now using the public sphere to test Donald Trump’s willingness to enforce the cross-border boundaries established under the Islamabad peace framework.
