WANA (Dec 14) – Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, has said that Tehran has never trusted the United States as a sincere negotiating partner, stressing that while Washington is not trustworthy, this should not prevent countries from choosing diplomacy.
Al Jazeera English recently aired a documentary examining alleged attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran. As part of the program, the network interviewed Araghchi. Excerpts from his remarks, published via his official Telegram channel, are as follows:
“We frequently hear claims that the Israeli regime may carry out another attack. Psychological warfare is part of real warfare, and it appears that, for now, they are focusing on psychological operations—attempting to create fear inside the country as part of a broader conflict.”
“This does not mean that we are ignoring the possibility of war. We are fully prepared. Our armed forces and our people are ready to defend the country under any circumstances.”
“We do not seek war; rather, we seek to resolve issues through diplomacy.”
“You may be able to destroy buildings and equipment through bombing, but technology cannot be eliminated through military attacks, nor can knowledge be erased from people’s minds. More importantly, the will of a nation cannot be destroyed by bombardment.”
“Before any military attack, the Iranian people were subjected to sanctions for many years, yet no problems were resolved. There is no solution to existing issues other than a negotiated and diplomatic one.”
“We have never trusted the United States as an honest negotiator. The US has not been sincere in anything, and in my view, no one can trust America. However, this does not mean that diplomacy should be abandoned.”
“Whether Iran is currently in a strong and dignified position or not is up to the Iranian people. I advise the United States to respect the Iranian people and the system they have chosen for themselves.”
