Araghchi: A Permanent End to the War Must Be Achieved

Tehran - BORNA - Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said on Sunday during an appearance on the program “Meet the Press” on NBC News that Iran will not allow foreign interference in its internal affairs.

Speaking via video link, Araghchi said: “Iran will not allow foreign intervention in its domestic affairs.”

“It is the duty of the Iranian people to choose their next leader. This concerns only the people of Iran and no one else,” he added.

He said the new leader will soon be selected by the Assembly of Experts, adding that the president, cabinet, and parliament will all continue carrying out their duties.

Responding to a question about whether Mojtaba Khamenei could become Iran’s next leader, Araghchi said: “No one knows about that. There are many rumors, but we must wait until the Assembly of Experts convenes and the vote takes place.”

Iran’s Missile Capabilities

Referring to Iran’s military capabilities, Araghchi said: “We have the ability to produce missiles, but we have intentionally limited their range to less than 2,000 kilometers because we do not want anyone in the world to perceive us as a threat.”

He added that there is currently no plan to increase the missile range.

“There is no evidence, no information, nothing that shows Iran is developing long-range missiles, let alone missiles capable of reaching the United States,” he said.

“Iranian Soldiers Are Courageous”

Speaking about Iran’s military forces, Araghchi said: “We have very courageous soldiers who are waiting for any enemy that enters our territory to fight them, destroy them and kill them. This will exist in Iran in the coming days, the coming years, and always.”

“We are a brave people. We have a great civilization. We have defended our land for thousands of years and we will continue to do so as long as necessary,” he added.

Response to Attack on School

During the interview, the journalist referred to what Iran described as a U.S. and Israeli attack on a girls’ school in Minab in Hormozgan Province.

Responding to claims by Donald Trump that the United States was not responsible for the incident, Araghchi said: “That claim is really laughable. That school belongs to us; those students are our children. They were targeted and killed by an American fighter jet. How could Iran be responsible?”

“Did we start this war? Did we attack our own people? No. We were negotiating with the United States, and in the middle of negotiations and diplomacy they decided to attack us. They have attacked many places, including schools and hospitals, and there is plenty of evidence showing that this school was targeted by an American fighter jet. If it was not the United States, then who was it? Perhaps Israel. But it is clear who is attacking us,” he said.

Rejecting Claims About Missiles Targeting the U.S.

Asked about Trump’s claim that one of the reasons for the war was that Iran possesses missiles capable of targeting Europe and U.S. bases and might soon reach American territory, Araghchi said the claim was false.

“This claim is incorrect and in fact misinformation. We have the ability to produce missiles, but we have deliberately limited their range to less than 2,000 kilometers so that we are not perceived as a threat to others.”

“We have not initiated any program to increase the missile range beyond the current limit. Therefore, there is no evidence or information showing that Iran is developing long-range missiles, let alone missiles capable of reaching the United States,” he said.

Cooperation With Russia

Asked whether Iran is receiving assistance from Russia, Araghchi said: “Military cooperation between Iran and Russia is nothing new. It is not a secret. It existed in the past, it exists now, and it will continue in the future.”

When asked whether Russia helps locate U.S. forces, he replied: “I do not have precise military information. As far as I know, we have very good cooperation with Russia. They help us in various ways, but I do not have detailed information.”

On Pezeshkian’s Apology to Neighboring Countries

Responding to a question about remarks by Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, who apologized to neighboring countries, Araghchi said: “First, in our culture, apologizing is a sign of dignity and strength. Second, he apologized to the people of the region for the suffering they experienced due to this U.S. aggression and our retaliation.”

“In fact, it is the president of the United States who should apologize to the people of the region and to the people of Iran for the killings and destruction carried out against us,” he added.

“Iran Will Never Surrender”

Araghchi also referred to statements by Trump at the beginning of the conflict.

“When Israel started attacking us in June, we know that Trump used the phrase ‘unconditional surrender.’ That was the tweet he posted, and it did not happen,” he said.

“We resisted, and after 12 days the Israelis requested an unconditional ceasefire. We will never surrender. We will continue to resist as long as necessary. We will continue to defend ourselves and defend our land, our people, and our dignity. Our dignity is not for sale.”

Conditions for Ending the War

Asked about Iran’s conditions for ending the war, Araghchi said: “We have not yet reached that stage.”

“This time the conditions are different from before. Previously they attacked us, killed our people and destroyed our infrastructure, and then requested a ceasefire. We accepted it in good faith because we were only defending ourselves. When the aggression stopped, we also stopped. But that did not lead to peace.”

“This year they attacked us again. They are again killing our people—girls, students. They are attacking hospitals, desalination facilities, refineries, and many other places. People have been killed and many locations have been destroyed. Now they are again requesting a ceasefire. It does not work that way. A permanent end to the war must be achieved, and until we reach that point, I believe it is necessary to continue fighting for the security of our people.”

Possibility of Negotiations

On whether Tehran might return to negotiations and accept a ceasefire, Araghchi said: “First they must explain why they started this aggression. Then we can talk about a ceasefire.”

“Of course no one wants this war to continue. This is not our war and it was not our choice,” he said.

“This war has been imposed on us by the United States and Israel. They started it illegally, without provocation and without justification. What we are doing is legitimate self-defense, and we have every right to defend ourselves.”

“Therefore it is not fair for them to stop their aggression and then ask us to stop as well. As I said, this time the conditions are different.”

On Iranian Missiles Targeting U.S. Bases

Responding to a question about Iranian missile strikes in 13 regional countries, Araghchi said: “If anyone believes that Iran has attacked its neighbors, that perception is incorrect.”

“We have not attacked our neighbors. We have targeted U.S. bases and facilities that unfortunately are located on the territory of our neighboring countries. So we have not targeted our neighbors; we are targeting Americans who attacked us.”

“We are responding. We did not start this war; the United States started the war against us, and we are simply defending ourselves.”

“It is clear that our missiles cannot reach U.S. territory. What we can do is target U.S. bases and facilities around us, which unfortunately are located on the soil of neighboring countries.”

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