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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi featured exclusively on the Morning Joe program on February 20, saying that “there is no military solution for Iran’s nuclear program.”
Araghchi continued: “That was tested last year, and there was a huge attack on our facilities, on our, you know, they killed and assassinated our scientists, but they couldn’t kill our nuclear program.
“Why? Because it is developed by ourselves, by our scientists – this is a technology developed by us, belongs to us, and it cannot be destroyed by bombings or military actions – the only solution is diplomacy, [and] this is why the US is back on the table of negotiation.”
Araghchi added: “The US side has not asked for zero enrichment – what we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever.
“We don’t consider Americans as our enemy, we consider the American government’s policies as hostile against Iran – when those hostilities stop, then we can perhaps consider a different kind of relationship.”
Araghchi then noted that: “It is very unfortunate that we don’t have any good experience of dealing with American administrations – the moment that this perception is changed, the moment you can come to a good conclusion, a deal which is respected by the US administration, which is respected by the American people, and being implemented in good faith – I think things would start to change, I believe that everything depends on the other side.”
The Iranian FM continued: “Previous US administrations, even the current US administration, have tried almost everything against us – war, sanctions, snapback, you know, everything – but none of them worked.
“If you talk to the Iranian people with the language of respect, we respond with the same language, but if they talk to us with the language of force, we will reciprocate with the same language.”
Araghchi concluded: “I think Iranians have proved to be very good people – we only respond to the language of respect, and this is the way that they can talk to us, and they would see the result.”
