SAEDNEWS: Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khateebzadeh told Turkey’s A Haber TV that Tehran is committed to continuing nuclear talks with the E3 in Istanbul, while warning that coordinated Israeli–US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and commanders constitute a grave breach of international law.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the Center for Political and International Studies of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, gave an interview to Turkey’s A Haber TV. The full text is as follows:
According to Saed News citing ISNA:
Question: Iran and the E3 (Germany, France, and the UK) recently convened for the second time in Istanbul. Both sides agreed to continue negotiations aimed at breaking the deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program. Has a new round of talks been scheduled in the near future? How does Iran view these negotiations?
Khatibzadeh: I am very pleased to have another opportunity to be here and to speak with you and your audience. Yes, we were in Istanbul, and I believe we had sincere and friendly discussions. At the same time, I can say that we had very direct talks on issues of mutual interest and concern.
I would like to thank the government of Turkey, President Erdoğan, the Foreign Minister, and everyone who contributed to organizing this meeting, which demonstrates the importance we attach to our bilateral relations. It also shows how much we see Turkey as a suitable venue for such important discussions.
Of course, we decided to continue. As you probably know, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, has been under pressure for years since the United States’ withdrawal. As you are aware, Iran exercised strategic patience for one year in exchange for potential compensation promised by the Europeans, provided that Iran did not withdraw from the JCPOA.
We decided to apply this strategic patience. Unfortunately, the Europeans were unable to do anything meaningful. In fact, they lacked the will to compensate for America’s unilateral and unlawful withdrawal from the agreement. Then, naturally, Iran decided to restore balance by reducing its commitments under the JCPOA.
Now, these negotiations will continue. We have decided to go forward, and we will. But we must remain cautious and vigilant to ensure that no one exploits this issue as a tool in their foreign policy toolbox. We hope the Europeans understand that if the goal is to reach a meaningful understanding between both sides, anything is possible.
Question: How do you evaluate Turkey’s role in these negotiations?
Khatibzadeh: As I mentioned, the very fact that we decided to hold this round of negotiations in Turkey demonstrates how much trust we place in Turkey and how our friend Turkey and its government are capable of organizing and hosting these important talks. We believe that, if needed in the future, we can continue to count on Turkey to host such crucial meetings.
Question: Israel has attacked your territory and military infrastructure. The United States also participated in these strikes, targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. What is the current state of Iran’s nuclear facilities?
Khatibzadeh: Yes, Israel launched an attack against our country. Iran was attacked — and not just by Israel. This was a highly coordinated aggression carried out jointly by the Israelis and the Americans. In fact, when Israel began assassinating Iranians, we were in the midst of negotiations, and they assassinated our commanders — not while they were on duty, but in the middle of the night, when they were with their families.
They even targeted the neighbors and residential areas of these commanders.
Therefore, their real objective was not only the nuclear facilities you referred to. They also sought to assassinate our senior commanders. Of course, attacking nuclear facilities constitutes a blatant violation of international law, perhaps the worst kind, because all of our nuclear facilities were under UN guarantees and continuous monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). All of them were declared facilities, installed, and fully operational under international oversight.
What the Americans and Israelis did is a flagrant breach of international law and must be assessed by responsible international authorities.
Iran will certainly pursue this matter. But what is important is that Iran is fully prepared to defend its peaceful nuclear rights. Iran has dedicated a significant portion of its resources and energy to this peaceful program, and no one can deprive Iran of it.
