Speaking in an interview on IRIB1 on Saturday night, Amirabdollahian remarked on recent developments regarding Iran-Azerbaijan Republic relations, saying that the relationship between the people of both countries was at the highest status and political ties between the states were growing.
He highlighted Iran’s support of reclaiming Karabakh region by Azerbaijan Republic and at the same time referred to the unfavorable transfer of some terrorist groups to the region, adding that the Israeli regime has been looking for an opportunity during these developments to have a presence near Iranian borders.
Iran expressed its concern over the issue at political, military, and security levels through various channels to Azerbaijani officials, the foreign minister said.
The top diplomat also noted that he had told his Azerbaijani counterpart during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that Baku should have informed Iran in advance through conventional channels about any change in tolls and transit limitations.
As a matter of practicing sovereignty over a 20-kilometer piece of a road connecting Iran to Armenia, Azerbaijan Republic has imposed heavy tolls on Iranian truck drivers passing the road and detained two drivers.
Amirabdollahian also said that Iran has expressed discontent over Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s negative statements in recent days against Iran, adding that Iran has asked for correction.
He went on to elaborate that foreign actors, the Israeli regime, and terrorist groups were behind developments in Azerbaijan Republic and Iran would help Azerbaijan not to get caught in this trap.
Iran’s top diplomat also castigated Arab states for normalizing ties with the Israeli regime, saying that rulers in Bahrain should be seeking to establish ties with their people rather that the Zionist regime.
The reality about the Israeli regime was disclosed during the recent Ghaza resistance, where the third and fourth generation of Palestinians moved to protect al-Aqsa Mosque and the Zionist regime had to ask for ceasefire, Amirabdollahian explained.
We recognize one country named Palestine with the capital city Quds and the Israeli regime has no place in the future of the region for several reasons, he added.
On the talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Foreign Minister said that Iran would soon return to the negotiations, but the talks should have achievements for Iran.
He also pointed to the attempts by the US to communicate with Iran, saying that if Americans had true intention, they’d better release part of Iran’s blocked funds.
Amirabdollahian said that the Vienna format was agreed upon in Iran and the Foreign Ministry would continue talks at the political deputy level, but if any agreement was reached, it should be confirmed and finalized at foreign ministers level.
On Iran’s blocked funds in South Korea, the Foreign Minister said that he had a conversation with his Korean counterpart and they reached an agreement. He also said that he warned the Korean side that if they fail to do something in the short-term, Central Bank of Iran would file a complaint against them.
On the ‘Look to the East’ policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Amirabdollahian said that Iran acts based on mutual interests in its ties with China and Russia and it’s not tied to these country, just as it’s not tied to the West and the US.
Our measure is the practical behavior of the US, he said, and if the US changes its behavior, Iran would interact with them, too.
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