Iran does not want a war with Israel or the United States, but it is fully prepared to defend itself if it comes under attack again, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Beirut, Araghchi said Tehran is also willing to resume negotiations with Washington over its nuclear program, provided the talks are based on mutual respect and not pressure or “dictation” from the US.
His remarks come amid growing fears that Israel, a close US ally, could again target Iran following the 12-day war in June, when Israel struck Iran and killed several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. During that conflict, the United States also bombed key Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities.
“America and Israel have tested their attack on Iran and this attack and strategy faced extreme failure,” Araghchi said at the start of his two-day visit to Lebanon. “If they repeat it, they will face the same results.”
“We are ready for any choice. We don’t desire a war but we are ready for it,” he added.
In February, US President Donald Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran in an effort to block Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The policy included US-led airstrikes on three major Iranian enrichment sites in June.
Araghchi said Iran is prepared for negotiations, but stressed that any dialogue must be built on respect and shared interests.
“We believe that once the Americans reach the outcome that constructive and positive negotiations rather than ordering dictation are the framework, then at that time the results of these negotiations become fruitful,” he said.
Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% purity after Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers in 2018. While Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, Western governments and the UN’s nuclear watchdog say Iran had an organized weapons program until 2003.
In late December, Trump warned that the US could launch further military strikes if Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.
END/UNB/FH/1719 Hrs