Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera that Iran would ‘instantly and decisively’ to an US or Israeli assault.
Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi has informed Al Jazeera that any assault by Israel or the US on Iran’s nuclear services would plunge the area into an “all-out warfare”.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic throughout a go to to Qatar, Araghchi warned that launching a navy assault on Iranian nuclear services can be “one of many largest historic errors the US may make”.
He stated Iran would reply “instantly and decisively” to any assault and that it will result in an “all-out warfare within the area”.
Considerations have grown in Iran that US President Donald Trump would possibly empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assault Iran’s nuclear websites whereas additional tightening US sanctions throughout his second time period in workplace.
Araghchi stated he met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Overseas Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha to debate key regional points.
“We extremely commend Qatar’s mediation position in reaching the ceasefire in Gaza,” Araghchi stated in an interview broadcast on Friday. “I hope all different points can be ironed out.”
He additionally met Hamas officers whereas in Qatar and stated Palestinians had achieved “victory” in Gaza, regardless of the devastation of Israel’s war on the enclave.
“Regardless of all of the killings and destruction the entire world witnessed, the Palestinian individuals held their floor and upheld their values and ideas. I consider this stands as a victory,” he stated.
“The Israeli occupation forces did all of their energy to eradicate Hamas and free their captives, however they have been compelled on the finish of the day to sit down and negotiate with Hamas. This represents victory for Hamas,” he added.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a minimum of 47,460 Palestinians, primarily girls and youngsters, and wounded 111,580 since October 7, 2023. No less than 1,139 individuals have been killed in Israel throughout the Hamas-led assaults that day and greater than 200 taken captive.
A lot of the Strip has been decreased to rubble and the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced.
Concerning developments in Syria, Araghchi stated Iran helps the formation of a authorities during which all segments of Syrian society can take part following the toppling of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was a strong ally of Iran.
Araghchi stated Iran’s objectives are for stability in Syria and to protect the unity of the nation’s territory.
“We promote any authorities chosen and supported by the Syrian individuals. We wish peace and safety for Syrian, which is a precursor to the identical within the area,” he stated.
“We don’t want to see Syria because the epicentre of limitless pressure or ethnic conflicts, which can flip it right into a protected haven for terrorists. Instability in Syria would spill over the area.”
Iran had supported al-Assad since Syria’s warfare broke out in 2011, offering him with fighters, weapons and different navy help that aimed to maintain him in energy, in addition to to keep up Tehran’s regional “axis of resistance” to Israel and the US.
Concerning the re-election of Trump, Araghchi stated the historical past of Iranian-American relations was “filled with hostility and distrust”.
He identified that the US beneath the final Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear settlement and assassinated Qassem Soleimani, the top of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) Quds Drive.
He known as on the brand new Trump administration to take sensible steps to revive confidence, similar to returning frozen Iranian funds, and stated Iran doesn’t object to direct dialogue with the US, however insists on limiting negotiations to the nuclear situation.
