The Foreign Minister of Iran: Iran is prepared to defend itself until the end, for as long as it takes

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the U.S. CBS that Iran is prepared to continue self-defense for as long as it takes, without requesting a ceasefire or seeking negotiations.

He said in an interview: "We have never asked for a ceasefire, nor have we ever asked for negotiations. We are prepared to defend ourselves until the end, for as long as it takes."

Other major statements from the Iranian Foreign Minister are as follows:

There is currently no agreement between the United States and Iran on the table.

He said: "There is currently no proposal on the table. Everything depends on the future... There is absolutely no proposal at the moment."

In early talks with Washington, Iran was willing to make concessions, indicating its intention not to develop nuclear weapons.

Araghchi said: "Part of the agreement is about the issue of enriched material reaching 60% concentration. I announced that we are prepared to dilute this enriched material and reduce its concentration. This is a very serious proposal, a significant concession, aimed at proving that Iran has never sought to possess nuclear weapons, and will never seek to do so."

Enriched uranium remains in the ruins of the nuclear facilities destroyed by the U.S. attack, and theoretically could be recovered under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, but there are currently no plans to do so.

Araghchi said: "Our nuclear facilities were attacked, everything was reduced to rubble. Of course, there is also the opportunity for extraction, but it would have to be done under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. If we decide to do so, it will be done under the agency's supervision. However, at the moment, we have no plans, and no plans to retrieve the enriched uranium from the ruins."

Iran is prepared to discuss with other countries the issue of ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi said: "I cannot name any specific country, but some countries have contacted us, hoping to ensure the safe passage of their ships. This will be decided by our military, who have decided... to allow a batch of ships belonging to different countries to safely pass through (the Strait of Hormuz). We are ensuring their safety."

The U.S. and Israel began attacking targets inside Iran, including Tehran, on February 28, with reports of building damage and civilian casualties from the attacks. In response, Iran struck Israeli territory and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859745998124044/

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