“For a few days now, the American side has started sending various messages through various intermediaries; the fact that messages are given through our friendly countries and we, in response, announce our positions or give the necessary warnings, this is neither called negotiation nor dialogue,” Araghchi said in a TV interview.
The foreign minister stated that Iran did not expect the territory of its neighboring countries to be used against it, but in practice the Islamic Republic has witnessed this happening.
US bases in the region, despite the fact it was said they would not be used against Iran, were in practice used, he added.
Regional countries must distance themselves from the US in military aggression against Iran, he stated.
This aggression is completely illegal, unfounded, and unjustifiable, and has no legitimacy, he noted.
Unfortunately, regional countries, especially the Persian Gulf states, did not even condemn this action, which is very strange, Araghchi said.
Iran’s attacks are not directed at neighboring countries: FM
They must dissociate themselves and not allow their land, airspace, or sea to be used against Iran, he said.
“If they do so, they will see that we will not take any action against them. Currently, we have no issue with them; our attacks are not directed at neighboring countries. We still consider these countries our friends, and consider their people our brothers and sisters.”
“In the event of attacks, our targets will be American bases, facilities, interests, and centers where American forces are concentrated, which are not limited to bases and include other centers, including fuel supply centers for American forces,” Araghchi stated.
Among the achievements the Iranian people have had in these 25 days was showing Iran’s authority to the region, he added.
“Another is the Strait of Hormuz. After 47 years, they finally forced us to show our authority in this region, in this waterway, in this Strait of Hormuz,” he noted.
“They thought Iran was bluffing, they thought Iran did not dare to do such a thing, but we did it with strength, and they mobilized all their power to stop it and could not,” Araghchi said.
The Strait of Hormuz is not closed entirely but it is closed only to the enemies.
The costs of this war are paid by both the American people and the people of the region, he noted.
“We are not seeking war; this is not our war; we did not start this war, and we seek to end the war, but in a way that it is not repeated,” he stressed, adding, “That’s why we do not want a ceasefire.”
Your Comment