Iran’s Araghchi: Not Afraid, Neither of Negotiation nor of War

By Staff, agencies 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that his country is not afraid of engaging in new negotiations towards resolution of whatever outstanding issues, but does not fear facing up to any fresh war that could be imposed on the country by its adversaries either.

The top diplomat made the remarks in an interview on Wednesday after accompanying President Masoud Pezeshkian during his trip to China.

“We have no fear of negotiations, just as we have no fear of war,” he said.

The remarks came amid the United States allegations of interest in entering new talks with the Islamic Republic.

Tehran has not completely ruled out the prospect of joining a new diplomatic process, but has warned, at the same time, that it cannot comfortably trust Washington given the latter’s drawn-out history of betrayals.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Araghchi noted that joint initiatives were underway to address the way the country was to deal with European states’ efforts at invoking the JCPOA’s so-called “snapback” mechanism.

“There are joint initiatives with Russia and China regarding how to deal with the ‘snapback,’ and our diplomats in New York are in contact with their Russian and Chinese counterparts over the matter,” he said.

“We will take every necessary step to make the world understand that this European move is illegal and lacks legitimacy,” he noted.

The mechanism would restore the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions against Iran.
Tehran has reminded that the drive by the European trio – the UK, France, and Germany – to have the sanctions reinstated contradicts the states’ refusal to live up to their commitments under the JCPOA.

Araghchi, meanwhile, addressed Pezeshkian’s trip, saying the visit “will go down as one of the most important ones in our history.”

“The president’s participation in China’s major military parade during the visit carried the message of solidarity with Beijing and opposition to world powers’ warmongering tendencies,” he noted.