TEHRAN, Aug 21 (Bernama-IRNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran will continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in line with parliamentary law and national security decisions.
He made the remarks during an in-depth interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), describing the recent visit of IAEA Deputy Director General Massimo Aparo to Tehran as positive, saying it enabled Iran to document its position following the bombing of its nuclear facilities.
“We cannot completely sever cooperation with the Agency, but the return of inspectors will depend on parliamentary law and the approval of the Supreme National Security Council,” Araghchi told IRNA.
The minister added that future cooperation with the Agency “will certainly not resemble the past,” citing its reluctance to condemn Israeli-US aggression.
Turning to regional diplomacy, Araghchi highlighted in the interview that Iran’s outreach to neighbouring and friendly states had helped prevent escalation before the latest conflict.
He added that while diplomatic channels proved effective, Iran’s readiness to respond forcefully was equally decisive.
“Before the 12-day war, we came close to conflict at least three other times. In each case, diplomacy was activated and played a crucial role.
“Diplomacy was effective, but it was the Islamic Republic’s ability to respond forcefully that ultimately discouraged the enemy from continuing the war,” Araghchi told IRNA.
The foreign minister reaffirmed that national interests remain the government’s overriding priority, whether in war or negotiations.
“Just as we stood firm during the war with seriousness, strength and authority, we will show the same resolve in negotiations to protect the country’s interests,” he said.
He also dismissed the idea that diplomacy is inherently wrong or that war is inherently sacred.
“It’s a false belief that war is always holy and negotiation is always dirty. Both are tools of states, and we will use whichever best serves our national interests,” Araghchi said in the interview.
-- BERNAMA-IRNA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
