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 instructed Al Jazeera that any assault by Israel or the USA on Iran’s nuclear services would plunge the area into an “all-out conflict”.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic throughout a go to to Qatar, Araghchi warned that launching a army assault on Iranian nuclear services can be “one of many greatest historic errors the US may make”.
He mentioned Iran would reply “instantly and decisively” to any assault and that it will result in an “all-out conflict within the area”.
Considerations have grown in Iran that US President Donald Trump may 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 mentioned 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 function in reaching the ceasefire in Gaza,” Araghchi mentioned in an interview broadcast on Friday. “I hope all different points can be ironed out.”
He additionally met Hamas officers whereas in Qatar and mentioned 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 mentioned.
“The Israeli occupation forces did all of their energy to remove Hamas and free their captives, however they had 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 not less than 47,460 Palestinians, primarily girls and kids, and wounded 111,580 since October 7, 2023. A minimum of 1,139 individuals had been killed in Israel through 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 mentioned Iran helps the formation of a authorities by 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 mentioned Iran’s targets are for stability in Syria and to protect the unity of the nation’s territory.
“We recommend any authorities chosen and supported by the Syrian individuals. We would like peace and safety for Syrian, which is a precursor to the identical within the area,” he mentioned.
“We don’t want to see Syria because the epicentre of infinite pressure or ethnic conflicts, which can flip it right into a secure haven for terrorists. Instability in Syria would spill over the area.”
Iran had supported al-Assad since Syria’s conflict broke out in 2011, offering him with fighters, weapons and different army help that aimed to maintain him in energy, in addition to to take care of Tehran’s regional “axis of resistance” to Israel and the US.
Concerning the re-election of Trump, Araghchi mentioned the historical past of Iranian-American relations was “stuffed with hostility and distrust”.
He identified that the US below the final Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear settlement and assassinated Qassem Soleimani, the pinnacle of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) Quds Power.
He referred to as on the brand new Trump administration to take sensible steps to revive confidence, corresponding to returning frozen Iranian funds, and mentioned Iran doesn’t object to direct dialogue with the US, however insists on limiting negotiations to the nuclear problem.
