Pars Today- The Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign minister, stressing the country’s immediate and decisive response to any attack on its nuclear facilities, said, “The US and Israel would be crazy to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. This will be a bad catastrophe for the region.”
Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, in an interview with the British TV channel, Sky News, which was released on Tuesday, addressed the top views, policies and decisions of the Islamic Republic of Iran about different regional and international issues. Pars Today has published some parts of this interview.
Q: You have taken over this job in a very challenging time. The region is in chaos. You see a man in the White House who has been Iran’s enemy. But, Donald Trump speaks of pursuing the agreement with Iran. Therefore, there is both a threat and an opportunity. Do you see any possibility for Iran’s readiness to negotiate with Trump on a kind of agreement?
A: The new government will try to have an affective and active foreign policy which is also comprehensive and balanced. There are only exceptions which you know. Thus, it means that we are ready for diplomatic interaction with the entire world. Unfortunately, when I started my job, the region was in the brink of an all-out war and my main goal was to prevent and avoid an all-out war in the region and further escalation of tensions which would lead the whole region to a catastrophe. I went to almost each of the regional countries which we have relations with, even to Egypt and Bahrain with which we have no diplomatic relations. I tried to create a mutual understanding and a common voice in the region in order to prevent further escalation of tensions and I think I have been successful.
Yet, I try to pursue the possibility of a new agreement on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. We agreed to continue our talks and find a new way to resolve misunderstandings and mistrusts about Iran’s nuclear program, return to the JCPOA or at least the JCPOA logic and see how we can find a new solution in this very tough time. Of course, this was before the American election. After the election, we wait to see what and how the new administration’s approach and policy is. The logic of nuclear agreement is trust-building in our nuclear program in return for removal of sanctions. Yet, the US should be a major part of it since most of the sanctions have been imposed by the US. Therefore, whether we can return to the same logic is still something which we are expecting to hear from the other party. However, we do not respond to the language of threat.
This is a reality and we have already proved it, but we respond to the language of respect. Thus, we are ready to repeat the same experience. Nevertheless, we have other experiences, too. What was the result when they threatened and sanctioned us? We are now much more advanced in our peaceful nuclear technology. We are now much more advanced in our defense technology. Why? Because they sanctioned us and forced us to rely on our own capabilities and stand on our own feet. Therefore, sanctions have not been constructive.
Q: Let us broach on the issue of Israel as I think there is a threat from Israel. We heard from the Israeli foreign minister that there has never been a better time than now to attack Iran because Iran is in its weakest situation. Donald Trump has also said that if no deal is going to be concluded, he is ready to support Israel in this regard. How much are you afraid of this possibility?
A: They know that this is not a real threat as they are aware of our capabilities to respond. We have clearly announced that any attack on our nuclear facilities will face an immediate and decisive response. I don’t think that they would do such a hysteric action. This is really hysteric and will turn everything in the region into a big catastrophe. I don’t want even to talk about it as I think this is not a real threat.
Q: Another issue pertaining to Israel is Palestine and Gaza. Donald Trump has just said that an alternative can be to cleanse Gaza. Trump has proposed this to the Palestinians to be transferred to another place. Is this a redline for Iran and what will be Iran’s reaction, if such a thing happens?
A: We shouldn’t forget that Israelis came to the conclusion that they must negotiate with Hamas. They had gone there to annihilate Hamas, but eventually, were forced to talk with the very Hamas to release their prisoners. So, I propose something else. Instead of Palestinians, let them they try to expel Israelis, take them to Greenland to kill two birds with one stone; both the issue of Greenland is resolved and Israelis live there.
Q: Do you think that Israel has the right to live where it deems as its territory?
A: Anyone has the right to life, but no one has the right to occupy the territories of others. This is the territory of Palestinians and Palestinians must decide on the fate of their own territory.
Q: Last year, we witnessed the “intensive” weakening of Hezbollah. We witnessed the death (martyrdom) of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, Iran’s close ally. We also witnessed the assassination of Hamas’ leader, Ismail Haniyeh in this very city [Tehran]. We witnessed the overthrow of your ally, Bashar Assad from power. Can we say that your strategy does not work anymore?
A: We should know that resistance is an ideological school and a ideal. This ideal will not perish with martyrdom of individuals. It is true that Hamas and Hezbollah have been inflicted a lot of losses, but they have reconstructed themselves. What matters is that this ideological school and this ideal will not perish.
I’d like to give an example for you. The French revolution is considered as the mother of many thoughts and causes in Europe and America, but see how it changed later on. We had Napoleon’s return, we had dictatorship and other forms of rule, but the ideal originated in the French revolution remains there in the Western countries. Therefore, this ideal has turned into different forms, but the main idea is still there. This is true about resistance, too. And these ups and downs are natural in the international arena.
Resistance has gained many victories during last year. Defeat is natural, too. But, what matters is to reconstruct itself and continue its way. People will continue supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and they will return to the power that they had before so that they resist against Israel like before. Hamas and Hezbollah are independent and make decisions independently. We have always supported and will support their ideals. It depends on them in future, too. If they ask Iran for support, we will certainly answer them positively.”
RM/UR
