Tehran:  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi strongly condemned former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday for making what he called “disrespectful and unacceptable” remarks. This reaction came after Trump claimed he had protected Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, from a “horrible and disgraceful death.”

“If President Trump is truly serious about reaching a deal, he should abandon his disrespectful tone towards our Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop insulting the millions of Iranians who support him sincerely,” Araghchi posted on social media platform X.

In a sharp jab at Israel, Araghchi added, “The great and strong Iranian people showed the world that the Israeli regime had no choice but to run to ‘Daddy’—a clear reference to the United States—to escape being crushed by our missiles. We will not tolerate threats or insults.”

This statement followed a series of U.S. airstrikes last weekend on three Iranian nuclear sites, which coincided with ongoing Israeli attacks during the 12-day conflict that began on June 13. The impact of those strikes remains under debate.

Trump had earlier posted on Truth Social, claiming, “I knew exactly where he [Khamenei] was hiding and did not allow Israel or the U.S. military—by far the most powerful in the world—to take him out. I saved him from an ugly and dishonorable death.” He also said that Khamenei didn’t need to thank him but expressed frustration at being met with “anger, hatred, and disgust.”

Trump added that he had been working on lifting some sanctions on Iran, a key demand from Tehran, but stopped those efforts after Iran’s response. He urged Iran to return to the negotiating table, although Tehran has denied any plans to resume talks, contradicting Trump’s claim that new negotiations would begin next week.