The top diplomat made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera as part of a documentary examining the Israeli regime and the US’s 12-day unprovoked war on the Islamic Republic in June.
He said it was solely up to the Iranian people to judge the country’s standing, and strongly advised the US to respect both the nation and the establishment they had chosen through democratic electoral procedure.
The foreign minister, meanwhile, reminded Iran’s longstanding distrust of the US as a negotiating partner, stating that Washington had withheld sincerity in its dealings.
He cited the Islamic Republic’s long experience with sanctions as a case in point.
Araghchi, though, underlined that years of economic pressure had failed to resolve standing problems,
Nor can military force achieve lasting results, the official added, pointing out that while bombardment might destroy buildings and equipment, it cannot eliminate technology, erase knowledge from people’s minds, or break the will of a nation.
The existing lack of trust, however, should not be used as a reason to abandon diplomacy altogether, Araghchi stated, noting that diplomacy remained the only viable path to resolving disputes.
He, therefore, underscored that there was no solution other than a negotiated one resulting from diplomatic engagement.
Iran does not seek war and continues to favor diplomacy as the means of addressing existing issues, he stressed.
The official noted, though, that the Islamic Republic was, at the same time, not disregarding the possibility of war either.
He pointed to repeated existing claims that the Israeli regime might launch another attack, describing such messaging as part of psychological warfare, and noting that it appeared to be aimed at instilling fear within Iran as an element of a broader aggression.
According to the foreign minister, the country is, hence, fully prepared for any scenario, with its Armed Forces and people ready to defend the national soil under all circumstances.
