“We are completely certain that no war will break out between the US and Iran because we are fully prepared. We are fully prepared to defend the country and the Americans know this issue so according to my opinion they don’t dare to attack us and so we believe that no war will break out in the region,” Araghchi said in an interview with RT Arabic on Tuesday.
Araghchi criticised western states for “creating barriers” for other countries to stop nuclear proliferation, adding that they don’t recognise other states’ right to take advantage of peaceful nuclear energy.
Araghchi is now attending 2019 Moscow Nonproliferation Conference.
The Iranian official mentioned that nuclear weapons has no place in Iran’s foreign policy due to a fatwa (religious decree) issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which bans production, stockpile and use of nuclear weapons, he said.
He slammed the treatment of the European parties in dealing with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for failing to honour their commitments while “the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for several times has confirmed Iran’s compliance with the nuclear agreement”.
Araghchi noted that Iran “waited strategically” for a year after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and restored economic sanctions on Tehran.
He stated that Europeans (the United Kingdom, France and Germany) failed to live up to their commitments resulting to Iran's reducing its nuclear commitments in four stages.
“Iran has reduced its commitments within paragraph 26 of the JCPOA in order to give diplomacy a chance,” Araghchi stressed in the interview.
Senior Iranian official reiterated that Iran’s peace initiative for the Persian Gulf, also known as Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE), is aimed at bringing back peace and security to the strategic waterway, saying that Iran is ready for cooperation and regional dialogue.
Araghchi said as part of the initiative plan Iran has sent letters to several regional stats such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on regional issues such as the war in Yemen.
According to the Iranian official, there are good political ties between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He stressed that trade ties between Iran and the Persian Gulf country have never broken even during the US sanctions.
Araghchi reiterated that Iran is “closely monitoring the situation in Iraq”, mentioning that Iran wants that calm be restored in the neighbouring country.
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