By Abbas Araghchi: Iranian Foreign Minister
The Leader lacked only one medal in his life — the medal of martyrdom — and he attained it. Losing the Leader is a great tragedy for us. The banner of Shiism and of Imam Mahdi, which was in the Leader’s hands, I am confident, will be entrusted to another capable hand. Our strength comes from the blood of the martyrs. This is a concept that only the followers of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) truly understand — how blood can triumph over the sword.
As we speak now, while our Leader and our commanders have been martyred, we are standing against what appears to be the most powerful army in the world and another army that also claims power.
We were not deceived. Our armed forces were not looking at us to see what we were doing. They were doing their own job. That is why, when war began, they reacted within an hour. The possibility of deception was high, and we participated (in negotiations) to show that we are people of reason and logic.
Whether the Americans entered with deceptive intentions or perhaps wanted to achieve their goals through negotiations, in either case, we resisted there as well.
The negotiations were conducted entirely with calculation, planning, and prudence. In multiple sessions of the Supreme National Security Council, the format, stages, and topics of the negotiations were discussed and decided upon.
All paths were taken. We participated in negotiations, we did not lose, and we showed the world that we were willing to negotiate — and that they were the ones who relied on force and the imposition of their demands.
Now the war has greater legitimacy and justification for our people and us. If we had not negotiated, perhaps this legitimacy would not have been created — people might have said that if we had negotiated, war would not have occurred. Now everyone is assured that we did not fall short.
We did everything we could to defend the rights of the Iranian people, to prevent war, and to preserve peace in the region. If the path of negotiation existed, we tested it. And if the path of war exists, we will stand firm.
America and Israel hold deep hostility toward the Iranian people. During the 12-day war, they expected people to pour into the streets and that some transformation would occur, but they failed in their objectives. Then they tried street unrest and again failed. And now, after attacking, they thought the people would react differently — but they miscalculated once more.
The situation is now different. We are not dealing with neighbouring countries; we are dealing with American forces stationed at bases on the soil of these countries, and with Americans and Israelis who attack us day and night.
If American soldiers are stationed in hotels, naturally, that in itself becomes a matter of significance. In any form and by any method, we will defend ourselves and our people. The enemy attacks us from various directions, and we attack the enemy from various directions. From our perspective, this is not a regional war; it is a war between Iran and the United States that has expanded into the region.
We have no war with the countries of the region — except the Zionist regime. But unfortunately, American forces are spread across different countries in the region, and we are compelled to confront them. Our confrontation is with America, and we hope regional countries understand this.
Today, three American F-15 aircraft crashed. What caused their crash remains to be seen. Their own claim is interesting — they say it was due to a mistake by Kuwait’s air defence system. If that claim is true, then Kuwait’s and other regional countries’ defence systems are supplied by the Americans. So their own systems have shot them down, undermining the prestige of their own military by firing simultaneously at three of their own aircraft.
They claimed they were not using regional countries, and regional countries claimed they were not providing their soil or airspace to the United States — so how was this aircraft in Kuwaiti airspace? It is a strange story and shows that, contrary to the image they project, they are vulnerable and incapable of defending themselves.
Our missiles hit their targets — whether at bases in the region or in the Zionist regime. The idea that they are a power that no one can stand against has been shown to be false. As soldiers of this system, we will fulfil our duties alongside the armed forces. In the midst of war, we must be the voice of the Iranian people abroad. In the legal and judicial arena, we must defend the rights of the Iranian people.
After the war, documentation must be gathered and presented in legal and international forums to establish accountability for those responsible for the war and their partners. Both we and the armed forces must take measures to achieve deterrence against the aggressions that occur. – @NewsSA_Online