Another Israeli attack on Iran will lead to a “widespread war,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Aragchi told the host of China’s state broadcaster CCTV, He Yanke, in an interview published on Saturday.
The comments came during Araghchi’s first visit to China since taking office, between December 27-8, the same day as his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Iran, Araghchi added, is fully prepared for another Israeli attack.
Despite this, he claimed Iran would continue to achieve things through “diplomacy,” saying, “We maintain contact with other Middle Eastern countries and continue to consult with our allies such as China.”
He added that such diplomatic ties will prevent future attacks from happening.
The two men extensively discussed the ties between their two countries, drawing on recent examples of high-level interactions, such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s October 2024 visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia.
Pezeshkian referred to China as Iran’s most important partner at the time.
Developments in Syria
Speaking on recent developments in the Middle East, Araghchi said that the rebellion in Syria happened “so quickly” and “was not expected.”
He emphasized his desire for Syria not to become “a gathering place and shelter for terrorists, and Syria should not become a threat to its neighbors and regional countries.”
“The situation in Syria should be decided by the Syrian people themselves,” he continued.
Nerveless, he said the future of Iran-Syria relations depends on how the new government – led by Abu Mohammad al-Julani – chooses to proceed.
“How we treat the new Syrian leadership depends on how it acts. Iran is completely well-intentioned. Iran hopes that Syria will stabilize. We hope to help Syria stabilize and ensure the safety of all ethnic groups in Syria, including Shiites, Sunnis, Arabs, and Kurds.”
Hezbollah in Lebanon
Araghchi also heaped praise on the “resolute resistance” of Hezbollah and Lebanon, saying he had no doubt the terror organization would come back stronger despite the “great blow” it suffered due to Israeli retaliation.
“Israel was forced to accept a ceasefire because of Hezbollah’s resolute resistance to Israel’s ground offensive in southern Lebanon and because Hezbollah caused casualties in the Israeli army,” he said.
“The resistance movement still has a bright future, and Hezbollah is rebuilding itself in a careful manner.”
The two also addressed the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the containing hostage-ceasefire talks.
Israel-Hamas War
Araghchi framed the talks as a loss for Israel, saying that the Jewish state, which wished to eliminate Hamas, was forced to sit down and negotiate against its will.
Nevertheless, he said that Iran would support any ceasefire agreement so long as it was accepted by Palestine and Hamas themselves.
“Hamas and the Palestinians decide whether to accept the ceasefire. As long as they are satisfied with the ceasefire, we support it.”
Araghchi also discussed a potential Iran nuclear deal, which has become a prominent discussion in US foreign policy, especially amid the incoming second term of President Donald Trump.
Araghchi said it was important to resume negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue but said it was “very regrettable that the United States decided to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement without any reason.”
“The US withdrawal from the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue was a strategic mistake on the part of the United States,” he stressed.
The Iranian FM ended his interview with a wish for “no more war” in 2025.
“I hope that in 2025, there will be a world without war, atrocities, and aggression, a world based on fairness, justice, and the rule of law, a world that can face up to those who trample on the law and those who are against humanity. To sum it up in one sentence, I hope that the world in 2025 will be a reasonable world.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
