Tehran - BORNA - Saeed Khatibzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, discussed security issues, international relations, and global challenges in an exclusive interview with CTV Belarus television network.
The interview was conducted on the sidelines of the Third Eurasian Security Structure Summit in Belarus, where Khatibzadeh thanked the host government for the invitation and the successful organization of the meeting.
Collapse of Israel's Myth of Invincibility
In the first part of the interview, Khatibzadeh emphasized the importance of meetings on the conference margins, noting: "Important meetings were held on the sidelines of this conference, and I also used this opportunity for talks with the Foreign Minister of Belarus. These talks were very fruitful and constructive."
He described security for Iran not as an abstract concept but as a tangible experience, referring to recent attacks by the Zionist regime and the US against Iran: "Last summer, the United States and the Zionist regime attacked Iran. In this attack, a number of our high-ranking scientists and commanders were assassinated while they were with their families in the middle of the night and achieved martyrdom. They thought Iran would surrender; but Iran’s response was decisive and crushing, and twelve days later, they themselves requested a ceasefire."
The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister also referred to the Zionist regime's actions in the region, stating: "Over the past two years, the Zionist regime has committed aggression against several countries in the Middle East and has occupied parts of Syria, but by attacking Iran, it committed the biggest mistake in its history."
He emphasized: "The myth of Israel's invincibility crumbled after Iran's response."
Khatibzadeh warned that the geopolitical ambitions of the US and Israel continue: "The geopolitical ambitions of the US and Israel have not ended; they have no commitment to international law. We in Iran seek, above all, to prevent a new war from occurring, but if another war starts, Iran has no choice but to achieve a decisive victory against the aggressor. The aggressor will undoubtedly regret its decision."
US Strategy: Hegemony and Active Revisionism
Analyzing the United States' plans, Khatibzadeh stated: "First of all, we must see what the United States' plan is and what they are aiming for. Today, the US openly uses the tool of force against other countries and is in its most overt state of using force against others in the past several decades. The main goal of the US is to guarantee hegemony and dominance over other countries through military power. The transformation of the Ministry of Defense into the 'Ministry of War' is understandable within this framework."
He cited statements by President Donald Trump, saying: "Trump explicitly said on television that the United States no longer wants to operate according to international law and sound political principles, but only wants to be the 'winner' in the field at any cost. In his recent statements, he named the killing of the Venezuelan people as a natural occurrence, threatened the Palestinian people that he would bring hell upon them, and normalized the genocide that occurred. These behaviors show that the previous situation and the global order we knew have fundamentally changed due to the actions of the US and its allies. The US and its regional contractor, Israel, have become active revisionists."
Khatibzadeh stressed the necessity of collective resistance: "They are no longer bound by any moral, political, or international value. For us, for Belarus, for China and Russia, and other independent countries of the world, this means we must not allow our future to be gambled with. We cannot allow them to gamble with the destiny of our nations. There is no way but resistance and steadfastness. The aggressors imagine they can force the 'Global South' to surrender, but they are mistaken."
He added: "Since their approach is a strategy to rewrite the global order, we cannot react to such policies individually, intermittently, or tactically. We must unite and adopt a common strategy. Only then can we triumph over the rival."
Nuclear Technology Remains Intact
Regarding the activation of Snapback by the Europeans, Khatibzadeh said: "Activating Snapback by the Europeans is illegal, and there is no international consensus on sanctions against us."
Referring to Iran's nuclear program, he stated: "The nuclear materials are still under the rubble of the nuclear facilities that were bombed and were not transferred to another location. We suffered damage at the level of buildings and nuclear devices, but the technology remains intact."
Khatibzadeh recalled the history of Iran's nuclear program: "Iran’s nuclear program began before the Islamic Revolution with the help of the US; Americans trained Iranian scientists. But after the Revolution, this same country blocked Iran. Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while the Zionist regime is not even a member of this treaty and does not conceal its nuclear arsenal."
He referred to IAEA inspections: "When the US and Israel attacked Iran, 22 IAEA inspectors were present in Iran and were active at that very moment. The largest volume of IAEA inspections in history took place in Iran, and no diversion was found. The Director-General of the Agency also confirmed two weeks ago that no violation was observed before or after those attacks."
He stressed: "They know very well that Iran is not seeking to produce weapons of mass destruction. Their main problem is that they do not accept Iran's independence and cannot have an equal relationship with an independent country. Their goal is only to ensure that Iran is in a weak position and unable to defend itself. They say: either be with us and according to our conditions, or if not, you will have no rights or possibilities. Iran’s answer is clear: We are not satellites of any power, just as we do not want satellites for ourselves. We will not allow the language of force to be used against us. We know and believe in our borders, our rights, and our capabilities."
Cooperation with Belarus, Ukraine Crisis, and Middle East
Khatibzadeh referred to the Belarusian President's remarks: "What Mr. Lukashenko said at the conference is very important. Organizations like BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the countries of the 'Global South' must turn this awareness into action to compel the other side to retreat."
He clarified: "We never sought confrontation, but they chose the path of confrontation. In the middle of negotiations, they changed the path of diplomacy and attacked us. We are a peace-loving people; but if war is imposed on us, we will fight well. Iran is the oldest living civilization in the world and accepts only the language of respect and justice in international relations."
Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Khatibzadeh stated: "One of the most important current crises in the world and the region is the Ukraine war. Europe's policy of prolonging this war is very destructive. When this crisis ends, it will be better for everyone. Iran welcomes the proposal of the government and President of Belarus for help and cooperation in ending this conflict and is willing to support the fastest way to end the war."
On Iran-Belarus relations, he said: "Relations between Iran and Belarus have always been at a high level. Belarus has supported Iran against sanctions and supported Iran's right to independent development. This has been reciprocal from Iran's side in supporting Minsk. In recent years, relations between the two countries have significantly improved."
He added that future plans include high-level visits, the continuation of joint economic commissions and diplomatic consultations, and the continuation of legal negotiations. He also noted that Iran unilaterally canceled the visa requirement for Belarusian citizens and called for reciprocity to boost tourism.
Khatibzadeh concluded by referencing the situation in the Middle East: "In the Middle East over the past two years, real crimes and a catastrophe like genocide, extensive bombing, destruction of hospitals and schools, and the killing of Palestinian civilians have occurred. No real peace has been established, and any temporary agreements have been short-term."
He defined the solution: "Iran believes that real peace is not created by superficial or coercive actions. The only solution is the establishment of an independent and unified Palestinian state. All of Israel's actions over the past 77 years to ignore the existence of Palestine have been unsuccessful so far. The issue of Palestine cannot be resolved with behind-the-scenes agreements or genocide, but must be resolved with the establishment of a real Palestinian state."
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