TEHRAN (Iran News) In his letter sent on Sunday, Darwish congratulated Araghchi on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan and wished prosperity for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He referred to Hamas’s full commitment to the Gaza ceasefire agreement with the Israeli regime and outlined clear and flagrant violations of the truce by the occupying entity.

These included daily attacks on Palestinian areas, the continued killing of Palestinians — especially women and children — detention of Palestinians, severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, obstruction of operations at the Rafah crossing and movement of Palestinian citizens, and prevention of the reconstruction of vital infrastructure.

In the final part of his letter, Darwish stressed the need for serious efforts by mediators and the international community to compel the occupying regime to fulfill its commitments, including “the immediate cessation of killing, massacre and violation of the rights of the Palestinian people,” adherence to provisions on humanitarian aid, lifting restrictions at the Rafah crossing, allowing fuel and equipment for reconstruction, observing humanitarian rules, and halting torture and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.

He referred to Hamas’s full commitment to the Gaza ceasefire agreement with the Israeli regime and outlined clear and flagrant violations of the truce by the occupying entity.

These included daily attacks on Palestinian areas, the continued killing of Palestinians — especially women and children — detention of Palestinians, severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, obstruction of operations at the Rafah crossing and movement of Palestinian citizens, and prevention of the reconstruction of vital infrastructure.

In the final part of his letter, Darwish stressed the need for serious efforts by mediators and the international community to compel the occupying regime to fulfill its commitments, including “the immediate cessation of killing, massacre and violation of the rights of the Palestinian people,” adherence to provisions on humanitarian aid, lifting restrictions at the Rafah crossing, allowing fuel and equipment for reconstruction, observing humanitarian rules, and halting torture and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) During the phone call, the two sides reviewed Iran-Iraq bilateral ties and emphasized the importance of continuing consultations at various levels to further expand ties in all areas of mutual interest.

The two foreign ministers reviewed the latest regional developments.

While expressing appreciation for the commitment of regional and neighboring countries, including Iraq, toward regional peace and stability, Araghchi informed his Iraqi counterpart of the developments regarding Iran’s indirect talks with the United States.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister, while thanking Araghchi for the explanations provided, reaffirmed his country’s support for the ongoing diplomatic process between Iran and the US.

He expressed hope that the current negotiations would lead to favorable outcomes for Iran, as well as for regional peace and stability.

The two foreign ministers reviewed the latest regional developments.

While expressing appreciation for the commitment of regional and neighboring countries, including Iraq, toward regional peace and stability, Araghchi informed his Iraqi counterpart of the developments regarding Iran’s indirect talks with the United States.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister, while thanking Araghchi for the explanations provided, reaffirmed his country’s support for the ongoing diplomatic process between Iran and the US.

The two foreign ministers reviewed the latest regional developments.

While expressing appreciation for the commitment of regional and neighboring countries, including Iraq, toward regional peace and stability, Araghchi informed his Iraqi counterpart of the developments regarding Iran’s indirect talks with the United States.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister, while thanking Araghchi for the explanations provided, reaffirmed his country’s support for the ongoing diplomatic process between Iran and the US.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Iran’s nuclear program cannot be destroyed by a military attack and warned that if the “Zionist regime” attacks Iran, it will lead to widespread conflicts in the Middle East.

Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers’ meeting in Jeddah, the foreign minister stressed that Iran will not resume negotiations with the United States on its nuclear program while the Trump administration applies maximum pressure.

In another part of the interview, Araghchi in response to a question about some comments regarding the Zionist regime’s plan to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, said: “Iran’s nuclear program cannot be destroyed by a military attack. This is the technology that we have achieved, and technology in the mind and brain cannot be bombed.”

Araghchi also warned that if Israel attacks Iran, it will lead to wider conflicts in the Middle East.

The foreign minister emphasized in another part of his that Iran is in no hurry to establish relations with the new Syrian government.

On Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Minister traveled to Saudi Arabia to participate in an emergency meeting of foreign ministers of Islamic countries on the Palestinian issue and the U.S. government’s plan to forcibly relocate Gaza residents.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed concern that some countries are using human rights as a tool to exert political and economic pressure on other nations or interfere in their internal affairs.

Addressing the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Araghchi said that certain governments exploit this institution to advance their own agendas, emphasizing that human rights should be pursued in an atmosphere of mutual respect and non-interference.

“We call on all governments to work toward protecting and promoting human rights based on the principles of fairness and impartiality,” he said.

The top diplomat identified unilateral coercive measures as one of the biggest obstacles to the realization of human rights at the international level. “These measures have a destructive impact on ordinary people and vulnerable groups, namely women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.”

Araghchi told the gathering that Iran has long been a victim of such misguided policies and demanded “the immediate lifting of all unilateral sanctions,” which he said violate the fundamental human rights of Iranians and have caused suffering to millions of innocent people.

The Iranian people have faced serious challenges for decades, including unfair economic sanctions and terrorism, he said, adding that “imposing political agendas by certain countries, often under the guise of promoting human rights, undermines the principles of the United Nations and threatens to destroy trust among member states.”

Elsewhere in his address, the foreign minister highlighted the Israeli violation of Palestinians’ rights. “One cannot talk about human rights without mentioning the suffering of the Palestinian people and the crimes of the Israeli regime.”

Iran firmly condemns the genocide in Gaza, as well as Israel’s systematic violence, occupation, and violation of the right to life of Palestinians. Araghchi called on the international community to hold the occupying regime accountable for these crimes.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, have met to discuss bilateral cooperation and recent regional developments.

The meeting took place during the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Muscat on Sunday.

Araghchi said he hoped the conference would achieve its goals in promoting partnerships among member states. “We enjoy strong relations with regional countries and seek to deepen these relations.”

He also praised the commitment of both Iran and India to strengthen their ties, adding that an upcoming round of political talks in New Delhi could bring the two nations closer together.

Jaishankar agreed, saying that the ongoing conference could play a role in elevating ties among IOC member states, especially between Iran and India.

The two ministers explored various areas for cooperation, including culture, economics, and trade.

They also discussed recent developments in the region and beyond, including the situation in Afghanistan.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has departed for Oman at the head of a delegation to attend the eighth Indian Ocean Conference (IOC).

Araghchi headed for Oman on Saturday evening. In addition to attending the Indian Ocean Conference, the top Iranian diplomat will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts of the participating countries and other officials in attendance.

The conference is set to be held in Muscat on Sunday and Monday, Oman’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Under the theme “A Voyage Towards New Horizons of Maritime Partnership,” the conference will bring together ministers and officials representing 60 countries and international organizations from across the Indian Ocean region, he said.

The Omani official also said that the conference aims to strengthen economic and security cooperation between the coastal states of the Indian Ocean, as well as with countries with strategic interests in the region.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Iran has condemned the “dangerous” joint U.S.-Israeli plot to forcibly relocate the people of the Gaza Strip, calling for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the issue.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a Saturday phone call with OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha that the Islamic Ummah (community) needs to adopt a coordinated and unified stance to thwart the U.S.-Israeli plot.

He said Islamic countries have a weighty responsibility to protect the legitimate and fundamental rights of the oppressed Palestinian people, especially the right to self-determination and a safe life in their own land.

“The scheme to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza is not only a big crime that equals genocide, but also has dangerous ramifications for the stability and security of the region and the world,” Araghchi said.

“The Organization of Islamic Cooperation must take a decisive and effective decision as soon as possible by holding an extraordinary meeting with the presence of the foreign ministers of the member states to defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” he added.

Taha, for his part, condemned the crimes committed against the Palestinian people and rejected the plot to forcibly relocate the people of Gaza as completely unacceptable.

While welcoming Iran’s proposal to hold an extraordinary OIC meeting, he said that he would consult with the member states of the organization in this regard.

Araghchi also discussed the issue in separate phone calls on Sunday evening with his Turkish, Pakistani, Egyptian, and Tunisian counterparts, who welcomed Iran’s call to hold an extraordinary OIC meeting.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan underscored the need for all Islamic countries to continue supporting the rights of the Palestinian people.

Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s foreign minister, pointed to the inherent duty of the OIC to support the oppressed Palestinian people, calling for continued consultation and consultation with other Islamic countries in this regard.

Also, Egypt’s top diplomat Badr Abdelatty rejected the attempts to force the people of Gaza to leave their land as unacceptable and stressed the need for extensive consultations among Islamic countries in this regard.

Gaza and the West Bank are an integral part of Palestine, and any attempt to expel the people of Gaza from their land is unacceptable in any way, said Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, emphasizing the existential philosophy of the OIC to support al-Quds and Palestine.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that the U.S. take “ownership” of the Gaza Strip and turn it into a hub of tourism, a move that would permanently displace the Palestinian inhabitants of the war-torn territory. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” the real estate investor-turned-president said in a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. “We’ll own it and be responsible” for clearing it out and rebuilding it into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The U.S. president further insisted that Palestinians in Gaza “have no alternative” other than to flee the coastal territory.

The remarks sparked a wave of global outrage, even from Washington’s allies in West Asia. Hundreds of protesters also gathered outside the White House after the brazen comments, warning that the Palestinian territory is “not for sale.”

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TEHRAN (Iran News) “My assumption is that in this case (a likely attack against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities), we will enter into a widespread war in the region, a catastrophe that no one, neither in the region nor outside the region, wants,” the top diplomat said on Friday.

“I doubt that the Americans will make such a major miscalculation,” added Araghchi in remarks to Qatar’s Al Jazeera Arabic television network during a short stay in the Persian Gulf country, addressing the likelihood of Washington’s aiding Tel Aviv in such an act of aggression.

“Unlike previous times, if Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked, Iran’s reaction will be immediate and decisive,” he noted.

Iran has so far retaliated twice, namely during Operations True Promise I and II, against Israeli aggression against its soil by successfully targeting sensitive and strategic Israeli targets deep inside the occupied Palestinian territories with hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles.

The Islamic Republic, however, took its time before resorting to legitimate reprisal, apparently taking various domestic and regional conditions into account.

“The Americans and Israelis know what targets we can target,” Araghchi stated concerning the aspects of Iran’s response to potential aggression against its nuclear facilities.

He, meanwhile, reiterated that “Iran will definitely be able to respond” to such aggression, and strongly advised the US against making “one of the biggest historical mistakes” by contributing to such an attack.

Undermining likely Israeli-American attack

Still addressing the potential of such an attack, the foreign minister declined to consider such a likely act of aggression to be capable of causing much damage to Iran’s nuclear sites.

He noted that, far from just being present on the ground, Iran’s nuclear might and capabilities lay “in the minds and thoughts of Iranian scientists.”

“This capability and program will not be destroyed by bombing or airstrikes.”

Secondly, Iran’s nuclear facilities were not situated in one or two locations, he went on, adding that the facilities were scattered across many locations and were being guarded by very good and strong defenses.

“These facilities are in places that are very difficult, even impossible, to access even by airstrikes.”

And thirdly, he underlined the certitude of the Islamic Republic’s “immediate and decisive” reaction to a likely attack.

‘Nuclear weapons have no place in Iran’s military doctrine’

Elsewhere in his remarks, Araghchi reiterated that “nuclear weapons are not part of Iran’s military doctrine,” asserting, “Our security is provided through other methods, and nuclear weapons are haram (forbidden) in our view.”

He cited the relevant fatwa (religious decree) that was issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei forbidding either achievement, storage or deployment of such weapons as per religious and moral concerns.

The official, however, said the country was capable of making the weapons, but repeated that there was no such will on the part of the Islamic Republic towards their production.

‘Not easy for America to regain Iran’s trust’

Araghchi also responded to a question concerning the potential resumption of negotiations between Iran and the US.

“Unfortunately, the history of our relationship with the US is full of very bad and negative events and positions,” he said.

The foreign minister noted how since the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the subsequent establishment of the Islamic Republic, Tehran had constantly faced hostility and adversarial actions on the part of Washington.

He cited the cases of the US’s 2018 withdrawal from a nuclear agreement between Iran and others and Washington’s assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s former top anti-terror commander, in 2020.

“All these events have created a history full of hostility and, most importantly, a history full of distrust between Iran and America. Of course, all of this cannot be compensated for with a single word.”

Araghchi noted that even the United States former administration of President Joe Biden — who had expressed a willingness to return to the nuclear deal — “had very hostile positions. The policy of pressure on Iran and severe sanctions against Iran intensified under the previous US administration.”

Tehran, however, was closely following the positions of the new US administration of Donald Trump and what policy it could adopt regarding Iran, the nuclear deal, or Iran’s nuclear energy program, he said.

“And we are examining them. We will make our decisions based on their positions and coordinate our own positions accordingly.”

Under the current circumstances, though, “There is no basis for opening a new chapter in relations with America,” he said, referring to the hostile environment governing the ties that has been brought about by America’s hostile measures.

Araghchi cited the potential unblocking of Iran’s frozen assets across the world as a likely step that Washington could take towards beginning to regain Tehran’s trust.

Resumption of negotiations between the two sides, “requires perseverance and a change of position on the part of the US government, and it requires the American side to take positive steps. I think they themselves know better than anyone what steps they can take,” he stated.

‘Resistance can always rebuild itself’

Separately, Araghchi addressed the issue of the Israeli regime’s deadly aggression against the regional peoples, including the Palestinians and the Lebanese nations, which had led to the martyrdom of some of their high-ranking resistance figures.

“The martyrdom of [the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah’s former secretary-general] Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah was not a small loss; the martyrdom of other commanders and forces of Hezbollah and [the Palestinian resistance movement] Hamas incurred heavy costs,” he said.

“But all of this does not mean the disappearance of the resistance or even, in my opinion, its weakening. All of these were very important experiences that the resistance learned, and I am sure they will be useful in the future.”

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TEHRAN (Iran News)

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi has sent a video message to the Chinese government and nation, describing the Spring Festival as a shared tradition between both countries.

Araghchi extended heartfelt congratulations to President Xi Jinping,  the people, and the government of China on the New Year and the Chinese Spring Festival.

The Iranian minister also said that the festival symbolizes solidarity, peace, and friendship between the two nations.

Regarding the “Glory of Ancient Iran” exhibition in East Asia, he said that the event is being held in the Chinese city of Ürümqi, following successful exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai.

Araghchi also noted that the “Land of Kindness” exhibition in Changliu represents cultural exchanges between the two ancient civilizations.

The minister invited the Chinese people to visit Iran during Norouz celebrations to become familiar with Iranian civilization.

He expressed hope that the New Year would bring rationality, peace, equality, and cooperation for all people around the globe.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that during his talks with officials in Kabul, the two sides emphasized the critical importance of joint border security.

At the end of his visit to Afghanistan, Araghchi told reporters on Sunday that he and Afghan officials had discussed strategies to address concerns and enhance border security.

The Iranian minister pointed out key issues, including water management, migration, security, borders, and trade, all of which need collaborative solutions.

He further emphasized the close relationship between Iran and Afghanistan, noting that both nations share a common religion and language.

In a meeting with the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan, Araghchi referred to the vital role of Shia scholars in fostering cultural and religious development in the neighboring country.

He also underlined the need to promote friendship among ethnic and religious communities.

Members of the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan expressed gratitude to Iran for hosting Afghan expatriates over the past 45 years, especially for providing educational opportunities in Iranian schools and universities.

The council members also welcomed the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, describing the development of scientific and cultural exchanges between Shia and Sunni scholars of both nations as essential for promoting Islamic unity.

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