Expressing Iran’s readiness to give diplomacy a chance only after the cessation of the Israeli regime’s acts of aggression, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi emphasized that Iran’s defense capabilities may never be subject to negotiations.
In a statement after a meeting with his counterparts from the European troika and the EU foreign policy chief, held in Geneva on Friday, Araqchi said he has expressed Iran’s serious concern about the UK, France and Germany’s failure to condemn the Zionist regime’s war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
The foreign minister said he has made it clear that Iran will seriously and decisively continue to exercise its legitimate right to self-defense in order to halt the Israeli aggression and prevent its recurrence.
The Europeans have been assured that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Araqchi added. “Therefore, the (Israeli) attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities amounts to a grave crime and a stark violation of the peremptory norms and international law.”
Araqchi said he has criticized the European troika and the EU for their refusal to condemn the Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
“In case the (Israeli) aggression comes to a halt and the aggressor is held accountable for committing crimes, Iran will be ready to consider diplomacy. In this regard, I announced explicitly and clearly that Iran’s defense capabilities are not negotiable,” the top diplomat said.
He finally voiced Iran’s support for the continuation of negotiations with the EU3 and the EU, saying he is prepared to meet them again in the near future.
The Zionist regime waged an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran on June 13. It carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear, military and residential sites that resulted in the martyrdom of scores of top military commanders, nuclear scientists and ordinary citizens.
The Iranian military forces started counterattacks immediately afterwards. They Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force has carried out 17 waves of retaliatory missile strikes against the Zionist regime as of June 20 as part of Operation True Promise 3.