International Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera that Iran would ‘instantly and decisively’ to an US or Israeli assault.
Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi has advised 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 army assault on Iranian nuclear services could be “one of many greatest historic errors the US may make”.
He stated Iran would reply “instantly and decisively” to any assault and that it could result in an “all-out warfare within the area”.
Issues 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 stated he met Qatar’s Prime Minister and International 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 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 warfare on the enclave.
“Regardless of all of the killings and destruction the entire world witnessed, the Palestinian folks held their floor and upheld their values and rules. I consider this stands as a victory,” he stated.
“The Israeli occupation forces did all of their energy to get rid of Hamas and free their captives, however they have been pressured on the finish of the day to take a seat and negotiate with Hamas. This represents victory for Hamas,” he added.
Israel’s warfare on Gaza has killed at the very least 47,460 Palestinians, primarily ladies and youngsters, and wounded 111,580 since October 7, 2023. A minimum of 1,139 folks have been killed in Israel through the Hamas-led assaults that day and greater than 200 taken captive.
A lot of the Strip has been lowered to rubble and the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced.
Relating to developments in Syria, Araghchi stated 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 powerful ally of Iran.
Araghchi stated Iran’s objectives 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 folks. 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 stress 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 army assist that aimed to maintain him in energy, in addition to to keep up Tehran’s regional “axis of resistance” to Israel and the US.
Relating to the re-election of Trump, Araghchi stated 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 known as on the brand new Trump administration to take sensible steps to revive confidence, akin 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 concern.