SAEDNEWS: Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, referring to the existence of rules and foundations in negotiation and diplomacy, said: ‘Diplomacy can still remain alive and continues to be the ultimate solution for resolving disputes, but its standards, regulations, and principles must be adhered to.’”
According to the political section of Saed News, today, Sunday, November 15, during the specialized panel of the international conference “International Law under Aggression: Invasion and Defense”, hosted by Kazem Sajjadpour, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi responded to the question: “Given the U.S. attack on diplomacy, where is diplomacy headed, and what is the prospect of resolving issues through it? Has diplomacy completely disappeared, or does it remain one of humanity’s oldest institutions for conflict resolution?”
Araqchi said:
“I believe the recent military attack on Iran, which was in fact also an attack on diplomacy, exemplifies this point. The first missile fired by the U.S. and Israel struck the negotiating table between Iran and the U.S. On one hand, it represented a severe challenge; on the other hand, it demonstrated that there is no solution but diplomacy.”
Full remarks of the Foreign Minister in the session:
According to IRNA, the objectives of Israel and the U.S. in this war were not achieved; they failed to reach any of their goals. If their aim was to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, it did not succeed. I have repeatedly stated that while facilities can be destroyed, technology cannot be eliminated through airstrikes, and most importantly, the will of nations cannot be shattered by bombing.
“Our facilities were damaged, but our technology remains intact, and our resolve has only strengthened. Requests for renewed negotiations have now resumed, which is natural because they failed to achieve through military action what they sought regarding Iran’s nuclear program. This aligns with what we have consistently said: Iran’s nuclear issue has no military solution. They tried, and they realized this approach does not work.”
Araqchi emphasized that for negotiations and diplomacy, there are principles: “You cannot achieve in negotiation what you could not in war. Negotiation differs from dictation and coercion. Negotiation is about trade-offs and mutual interests. It cannot be one-sided. Diplomacy and negotiation must be based on reason and conducted sincerely.”
He added: “If these conditions are met, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always demonstrated readiness for dialogue. Iran has never abandoned the negotiating table; it is always the other side that has broken trust. In the 2015 JCPOA agreement, Iran negotiated, agreed, and implemented it in good faith. Yet the U.S., despite Iran’s full compliance, unilaterally withdrew without cause, betraying diplomacy—a deal celebrated worldwide in 2015.”
Araqchi concluded: “This betrayal has recurred, now manifested through an attack on Iran. Iran has never fled diplomacy; rather, the U.S. and Western countries have consistently tried to impose their will during negotiations. Diplomacy can and should remain alive, as the ultimate means to resolve disputes—but it must adhere to its rules and principles.”
—Seyed Abbas Araqchi
