The Iranian interim foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani who was in New York to attend two open debates of the UN Security Council on Palestine and multilateralism on Tuesday, had an interview with Newsweek.
What follows is the transcript of the interview, which has been lightly edited by Newsweek for length and clarity.
Newsweek: Could you explain some of the objectives of your visit here and your appearance at the United States United Nations Security Council?
Bagheri: In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. As you pointed out, some time ago we went through a sorrowful incident in my country in which my late president and some other high officials, including my late foreign minister, were martyred. And it was a very great loss to my country and to my people.
But the great turnout of the Iranian people in the burial ceremony and in the tribute-paying ceremony to my martyred foreign minister, Minister Amirabdollahian, as well as for President Raisi, indicated the solidarity and integrity that exists between the Iranian people and government and the Iranian people and the state.
And in less than 50 days following the martyrdom of my late president, the Iranian people participated in the elections, went to the polling stations in two rounds and they elected the president-elect. We believe that this action shows the high level of confidence that my country has in itself.
I'm underlining these issues because if you look at our region, you will see that there exist some countries in which there are no elections. Even in our region, there are some countries that despite having the election processes, it is for some three years that there is no president.
So, we believe that this action by the Islamic Republic of Iran, holding the presidential election, while there was competition, participation and blatant transparency as well as high-level security, this verifies and demonstrates the stability in my country, as well as the level of self-confidence.
The holding of the elections in less than 50 days, during which security was established, as well as the election of Dr. Pezeshkian as the president-elect of my country, each of these actions bring about some constructive messages and signals for the sake of regional and global stability and peace. And we believe that now it is the time and turn of the other countries to constructively and positively react to these significant and constructive developments that took place in the Islamic Republic of Iran and brought about stability as well.
You asked me about the objectives of my visit to New York. I'm visiting New York this time in order to participate in two sessions of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday there is going to be a meeting on multilateralism and on Wednesday there is going to be a meeting regarding Palestine and the developments in Gaza.
The engagement and participation of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the highest level in these two United Nations Security Council meetings indicates and demonstrates the significance that the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches to multilateral mechanisms and to the pivotal role of the United Nations when it comes to establishing stability and promoting peace in the world.
In recent years, in different occasions and developments, it has been verified that unilateralism cannot bring about any solutions for the existing issues and problems in the world. Not only is it not a solution, but at the same time it is an obstacle for different nations and peoples living in different parts of the world when they need to have access to peace, stability, welfare, progress and development.
For instance, some years ago, in very tense negotiations, Iran as well as other countries reached a deal, which was called the JCPOA, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, back in 2015. But it was this unilateralism that, without any logic, [drove the US to] withdraw from this international agreement and instead of following and being committed to a solution. This unilateralism created a kind of deadlock regarding this important issue.
Another example is the fact that it is for more than nine months that the Israeli Zionist regime is committing crimes, genocide and aggression against the people of Gaza. In this regard, the unilateralism, which is led by the United States of America, has not only failed in bringing a solution to this global issue and problem, but at the same time the US has been sending and delivering state-of-the-art fatal weapons to Israel in order to continue these atrocities, killings and genocide.
So, we believe that through multilateralism we are able to create a world that is more just, more transparent, more democratic and more stable. And, at the same time, we can set the condition for the engagement and participation of all international actors. Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as an influential country at the international level, tries to participate in international mechanisms, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as BRICS. Currently and in the future, we will do our best in order to play a fairly effective role when it comes to expansion and stabilization of multilateralism in the world.
So, on Tuesday, we are going to participate at the United Nations Security Council meeting, and we are going to emphasize this issue and this function of multilateralism, and we will do our best in order to further promote and to stabilize multilateralism at the global level. And on Wednesday, there's going to be a meeting at the Security Council on Palestine. And today Palestine is an exhibition on where humanity is extinct and at the same time where human rights at the global level are violated.
I believe that this issue can be addressed through the legal processes or political manners or through some multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, in order to stop the Zionists from committing the atrocities and genocide in Gaza. And if it is not possible through these mechanisms, it is necessary for the United Nations Security Council to stop this Zionist regime from committing the genocide and atrocities and killings, even if it necessary to resort to force.
It is a responsibility for all accountable countries and states in the world, including the United Nations mechanisms, in order to ensure a serious and effective effort to help the helpless and innocent people of Gaza so they may have access to their fundamental needs, including food, medicine, pharmaceutical items and fuel. And we also need to ensure a serious effort in order to stop the atrocities and killings of the Zionists unconditionally, fully and permanently.
The Zionists must unconditionally, rapidly and swiftly evacuate from all of the occupied Palestinian territories in Gaza. We also need to set up a mechanism regarding the reconstruction of Gaza so that the people living in these parts of the world in the shortest possible time would be able to return to their ordinary and normal life. We will do our best in order to realize these objectives when we participate in the Wednesday session of the United Nations Security Council.
Newsweek: Like many Iranian officials, you have been skeptical of the Biden administration's ceasefire plan in Gaza. In your view, what is the best solution to end the fighting?
Bagheri: If the Zionists are determined to continue and sustain the atrocities and killings, definitely the United Nations Security Council, which is majorly in charge of ensuring and safeguarding global peace and security, should make use of all its potentials and capacities to stop the Zionists from continuing the atrocities and killings of the innocent people of Gaza, particularly women and children.
We believe that, in this regard, the United States of America is not an honest mediator regarding the issue of Palestine and Gaza. And what is the reason for this claim? Because today the United States of America is the biggest and the most important country that is providing the Zionists with these state-of-the-art fatal weapons in order to kill the innocent and helpless people across Gaza and Palestine, including women, children, youth, as well as elderly people.
If the Americans are honest regarding the mediation, it is not necessary for them to make a big deal, it would just be enough to stop the delivery of fatal weapons to Israel.
Newsweek: We've seen the rise of the Axis of Resistance in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen conducting direct operations against Israel. What is the nature of Iran's relationship with these factions and how might they be further involved in the event of a major escalation in Lebanon as Iranian officials have said could happen?
Bagheri: Resistance today in the west of Asia and in the Middle East is an undeniable reality. Today, the Western countries, especially the United States of America, whether through the political process or in the media, they are doing their best in order to identify the resistance in our region as a dependent element. And they are also trying to hide the independent identity of the resistance groups in our region. I believe that, through these measures, these countries, especially the US, is trying to hide the realities and is trying to create an atmosphere that covers these realities.
The synergy and solidarity that has been created among the Axis of Resistance in our region against the Zionists is proof that if the Zionists are going to increase the threats and warnings against these groups, they should confront and they should face serious resistance in the region by these resistance groups and also by the nations and peoples in the region.
The reality is that following the seventh of October, the balance in the region has been in favor of the resistance. By resorting to further killings and atrocities and by killing civilians in Gaza, the Zionists cannot, and they will not, be able to change this balance in favor of Israel. They cannot return once again to [the situation] before the seventh of October. The Zionists should acknowledge and should accept this change and shift of balance that has been created today, which is against Israeli Zionists and in favor of the resistance.
The Zionists have been trying to continue and intensify the killings and atrocities in Gaza in order to change the balance, but they have failed to achieve these objectives. So, we believe that, at the same time, if they try to expand the war and tensions to other parts of the region, including Lebanon, they will fail in changing this new order. Of course, they cannot change it and it will bring further damages to Israel and further benefits to the resistance.
Over the past nine months, the Zionists have failed in the fighting in Gaza. And, of course, it was a very small hole if I want to compare it with the realities on the ground. If they want to enter into Lebanon, it will be a very deep well for them. So, today, in the small hole of Gaza, they have failed, so definitely in the future, in the deep well of Lebanon, they will be further defeated. They can intentionally and voluntarily enter into Lebanon and expand the war to Lebanon, but they cannot through their own will end the war or the tensions.
Lebanon will be an unreturnable hell for the Zionists.
Newsweek: Amid this escalating situation, we have also seen Israel issue threats against Iran, and we've heard Iranian officials and experts in past months openly discuss potential changes to Iran's doctrine that bans nuclear weapons. How close is Iran to considering the development of nuclear weapons?
Bagheri: The threats made by the Zionists against the Islamic Republic of Iran are not relevant to the status quo of the current situation in the region. The Israeli Zionist regime is the only illegitimate aggressor, occupier and criminal actor in the region that has been creating some tensions and crisis in the region for decades.
Throughout the past nine months, the Zionists have been defeated by the unarmed and encircled people of Gaza who are under embargo. The Israeli Zionist regime has failed in realizing even some of its declared objectives. It is very natural to say that when it comes to the great and powerful country of Iran, the Zionists have nothing to do and nothing to say. But it doesn't mean that we stand idle and indifferent to the threats made by the Israeli Zionist regime. We will make use of all our conventional capacities and potentials when it comes to facing and confronting the threats made by the Zionist regime.
Operation True Promise, which was executed by Iran against the Israeli Zionist regime was a very small-scale example of the potentials and capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to stabilize deterrence and at the same time to create further stability.
Newsweek: Is it a situation where Iran can develop nuclear weapons and chooses not to, and would there be a possibility that Iran might change that decision?
Bagheri: Iran is an accountable and responsible member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and signatory to the NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]. Iran will make use of all its potentials and capacities within the framework of the NPT and the Safeguards Agreement in order to expand its peaceful nuclear activities according to its national plans and programs.
Newsweek: You earlier discussed Iran's growing relationships with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. What do you view to be the strategic importance of Iran's ties in the East now, and does Iran consider China and Russia as potential allies in the event of a major conflict in the region?
Bagheri: Iran's bilateral relations with Russia as a neighboring and a strong country in the region and Iran's bilateral relations with China as an influential international actor date back decades. We are making serious efforts in order to utilize the potentials of the regional countries for the sake of regional peace and stability.
The policy of good neighborliness was adopted as a foreign policy priority of the late President Raisi's administration. Today, we can witness the consequences and results of this policy. The principal axis and the pivotal part of the good neighborliness policy is to have mutual political confidence in each other in the region. In this regard, our policy is to de-escalate [and promote] our relations with all of our neighboring and regional countries.
We believe that if the regional countries try to ensure the required interaction, engagement, cooperation and synergy together, there will be no gap established in order to let foreign countries to penetrate into the region. We believe that the root causes of all tensions and crisis in our region ties back to the unilateralism that has been applied by the United States of America. In recent decades, the US through its illegal presence in Iraq and Afghanistan has not only committed numerous atrocities and killings and caused a lot of damages, but at the same time this country has brought about the expansion of insecurity, terrorism and narcotics.
We believe that following the establishment of the mutual political confidence among the regional countries, we need to consolidate our economic relations. And we believe that Russia and China are making serious efforts in order to consolidate the mutual political confidence in the region, and they are also doing their best to further ensure economic relations and connections and cooperation in our region.
For instance, I can mention the role of China when it came to the negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in order to revive their bilateral relations. So, China played a significant role in this country in order to revive the connections between Iran and Saudi Arabia as two key and neighboring countries.
And of course, we can talk about the role of Russia when it comes to the expansion of the international transit corridor and, regarding the pivotal role of Iran, in order to transform Iran into the energy hub of the region and to send Russian gas through Iran to other parts of the world or to eastern and southern parts of my country.
Newsweek: Do you feel that Iran right now is prepared for the potential of a direct conflict with Israel and potentially the US?
Bagheri: In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made great achievements when it comes to creating power and authority in the country. This can be done by forming national solidarity and integrity or by producing different elements and components of hard power. So, through these activities, we have been able to create a stable, serious and effective deterrence regarding foreign threats.
Operation True Promise verified that Iran holds the potential and capacity and is determined and brave enough to safeguard its national security, national interests as well as national sovereignty.
Newsweek: Do you believe there is an opportunity to bring about a better relationship with the West under the incoming Pezeshkian administration given its support for JCPOA negotiations and its reformist outlook at a time when the US has repeatedly criticized Iran on human rights issues, particularly women's rights?
Bagheri: The level of competition in my country in relation to the presidential election was so high that even one night before the elections, we were unsure which of the two candidates who ran for the second round would have been elected by the people.
So, we believe that now it is the turn and time of the other side to prove this honesty for interaction and, of course, to open a new chapter. We have been always very honest and serious and, of course, we will be honest and serious when it comes to ensuring interaction with all international actors.
Once upon a time, the US president sent a letter to the Iranian supreme leader. And the US president received the reply of that letter. This was one incident. Another one was the fact that the US committed the crime of assassinating a high-ranking Iranian general and, in response, an American military base was bombarded by my country. Accordingly, we believe that now the ball is in the court of the other side.
You spoke about some of the Iranian internal issues. You can come to our region and go visit other countries as well, and you can compare the level of freedom of the Iranian people with the freedom in other countries. You can compare the level of participation in democracy of the Iranian nation and the other nations in the region. And you can also compare the role of Iranian women in Iranian society with the other regional countries.
We believe that this atmosphere that you spoke about is being created by some political movements belonging to unilateralism and some media that belong to this movement. When it comes to Iranian women, women's role in arts, in politics, economy, culture or science, Iranian women play a significant and unique role. And today, you can see that one of the ambassadors of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, she's an Iranian lady, and she's playing a very effective role in this regard.
Newsweek: We're also undergoing a very heated election season here in the United States. Are you shocked by recent events here such as the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump or the calls for President Biden to resign coming from his party, and does this change the way you view the US and perhaps the outcome of the election?
Bagheri: I believe that that is a wrong approach adopted by the United States. We respect the choice made by the American people and the Americans should respect the choice made by Iranian people.
What happens is that the Americans let themselves talk about the choices made by the Iranian people and, of course, they try to reject it. If the US wishes to open a new chapter, then the US should respect the choice of the Iranian people and the election.
MNA