US President Donald Trump is being "dragged" towards war with Iran by "certain elements, certain parties," who want war for "their own benefit," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with CNN's Frederik Pleitgen on Sunday.
These "certain elements" and "parties" held a heavy implication of referring to Israel, US Jewry, and members of the Iranian diaspora, anti-regime movements, and Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any war the US starts would be a regional war.
"I'm not concerned about war. What I'm concerned [about] is miscalculations and military operations based on misinformation and disinformation campaigns," he stated. "I think President Trump is wise enough to make a correct decision," Araghchi told CNN.
Pleitgen asked how a "meaningful negotiation process" could be jump-started, and Araghchi replied that such a process should be based on trust. He added, however, that Iran had lost trust in the US as a negotiating partner.
"We need to overcome this mistrust," he affirmed.
Araghchi added that there are some intermediaries from "friendly countries in the region" who are trying to build Iran's confidence in the US as a partner.
"It is difficult, but they are trying, so I see the possibility of another talk if the US negotiation team follows what Trump said - to come to a fair and equitable deal to ensure that there [are] no nuclear weapons."
Pleitgen then asked whether, if this confidence were built, Araghchi would sit face-to-face with a Trump administration official, such as special envoy Steve Witkoff.
"The question of direct and indirect is something else... We have to take care of the substance of negotiation, and that is more important," the minister answered.
Pleitgen also asked whether the ongoing talks could lead to de-escalation if they are fruitful.
"Fruitful things like enrichment, ballistic missiles, proxy forces in the region," he clarified. "Is that completely out of the question for you [to negotiate about], or is that something you at least talk about?"
"Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal," Araghchi claimed.
"Of course, in return, we expect sanctions to be lifted so that a deal is possible. Let's not talk about impossible things," he added. "And not lose the opportunity to achieve a fair and equitable deal to ensure no nuclear weapons. That, as I said, is achievable even in a short period of time."
Pleitgen asked what the consequences would be for a "full-on military confrontation between Iran and the US," also noting that Tehran's military changed its doctrine so that a major attack would be considered existential for the Islamic Republic.
"What would [such an attack] mean for the region here?" the Pleitgen probed.
"If war starts, that would be a disaster for everybody. In the previous war [with Israel in June 2025], we tried hard to limit the scope... This time, if it is between Iran and the US, since US bases are spread across the region, then inevitably, many parts of the region would be involved, engaged, and that could be very dangerous," Araghchi answered.
"Our missiles were tested in a real war last time, and we were able to, you know, understand their problems, their weak points, and their strengths. We learned many lessons from those 12 days of war, and I think we are now very well prepared. But being prepared does not mean that we want war - we want to prevent a war."
Araghchi was also asked about the ongoing protests in Iran and concerns over the human rights violations of protesters and those taken into custody by the Islamic regime.
"Can you guarantee the rights of those who have been detained and whose cases are being looked into right now?" Pleitgen asked the Iranian official.
"Of course, first of all, there was no plan for executions or hangings... right now, I can affirm that the right of each and every person who is arrested and detained would be observed and guaranteed," Araghchi claimed.
Araghchi, however, blamed "terrorist elements" who received orders from abroad for spreading dissent and provoking violence, echoing previous statements from Iranian officials over the past 35 days.
During the peak of the nationwide anti-government protests, he stated that "We consider these three days as the continuation of those 12 days of war that was an operation led by Mossad from outside. Of course, we crushed that operation," he claimed.
Araghchi, sharing the article on X/Twitter, commented that "Iran and the US are at a fateful time."
Khamenei claims US wants to 'devour' Iran
Meanwhile, Khamenei stated in a post on X that the issue between the US and Iran can be "summed up in two words - The US wants to devour Iran, the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic prevent this."
"Iran possesses numerous attractions: Its oil, gas, rich minerals, and geographic location are attractive. The US wants to seize control of this country just as they controlled it before," he added.
"For more than 30 years, the Americans have been present in Iran. Iran's resources, oil, politics, and security were in their hands. Everything was in their hands. Now that their grip has been broken, they’re trying to find a way back. The Iranian nation stands firm, preventing it."
"Iran stands firm and will continue to stand firm, and, God willing, will put an end to the US’s mischief and harassment," he concluded.
Trump: 'Hopefully, we will make a deal'
Trump, responding to comments that Khamenei made, told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that "Hopefully, we'll make a deal. If we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right."
"We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there," the US president reaffirmed.