In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araqchi said, “We are more prepared this time, especially since we have clearly identified our own weaknesses and the enemy’s weaknesses during the 12-day war, and now we can act with greater strength.”
Araqchi said, “We have no interest in war or expanding the war. But we are facing a warmongering regime — a regime ready to drag the war to all parts of the region.”
Referring to Israeli attacks on Qatar, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen and threats against other regional countries, he added that the regime talks about a “Greater Israel,” which means laying claim to the territory of many countries in the region.
Responding to a question about Israeli claims that they do not seek a new war against Iran, he said, “We do not trust anything said by Israeli officials and always consider the possibility of deception.”
He also emphasized that Iran is confident about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and is willing to negotiate with any country to demonstrate that.
“If there are questions or concerns, we should address them through negotiation and by reaching reassuring solutions,” he said.
Araqchi stated: “We are still prepared to enter negotiations based on mutual interests. The formula used in 2015 can still be applied. That formula was: Iran builds confidence regarding its nuclear program and, in return, sanctions are lifted.”
The foreign minister insisted: “We will not negotiate our missile capability with anyone. There is no reason to negotiate our security with anyone.”
He added: “Zero enrichment is impossible. Enrichment is the achievement of Iranian scientists and we worked on it for years; our scientists were assassinated in the past. Now that we once fought for this enrichment — a 12-day war was imposed on us and we suffered more than a thousand martyrs — what reason do we have to accept zero enrichment?”
On the missile issue he said: “No sensible person disarms themselves. Why should we negotiate about our missiles when this twelve-day war proved that Iran’s defence depends on our missiles, and our missiles played an important role in defending Iran?”
Answering a question about the extent of damage from the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said: “The damage is significant — buildings were destroyed, our equipment and machinery were lost — but the technology was not destroyed. You cannot destroy technology with bombs. More importantly, our will was not broken; it has even strengthened since the war.”
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