Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks in an interview with German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer. The following is the full text of the short interview:
I would like to know what is your perception on the Persian Gulf? Do not you think there are peaceful solutions and don't you think there is a possibility to make a proposal to other nations which are not your friends?
Well, I believe there can only be peaceful solutions. We have had four wars in four decades, and this region cannot take more. We believe that Persian Gulf region requires a dialogue, a framework based on inclusiveness, based on the concept of nobody being able to dominate the region, based on the concept that everybody should work together. Then, we need to start a confidence building measures, confidence building from tourism to military basis, even to a non-aggression pact with all countries in the area including Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is one of the most important countries in the Persian Gulf region. You cannot have an arrangement excluding Saudi Arabia in this region.
Did you make that proposal of non-aggression agreement to Saudi Arabia?
Well I have made it public in an article and can make it to anybody, because we have not had an aggression against any country in past almost 300 years. Er, we were the subject of aggression during the Iran-Iraq war. But when the war ended, we have become the closest friends of the Iraqis, going to their aid in their fight against Daesh (ISIL).
There were little doubts in some European governments talking about new sanctions against your country, because of the missiles, your ballistic missiles, because of your role in the Middle East?
Well we have spent the least on weapons in this region . In comparison to others, we have spent a fraction in terms of the type of the military equipment, missiles that are present in our region in Saudi Arabia have longer range than our missiles, even have nuclear capabilities that our missile are not designed for. Yeah, Saudi Arabia has Chinese missiles that are based on an ICBM class of missiles. They now have 2,500 km range, but the original version of these missiles have 12,000 km range. So, these are the missiles available in this region. And, we only have non-nuclear at the maximum 2,000 km range missiles, which we have declared we will only use if we are attacked. We never use them against anybody unless we are attacked. But Europe can take credit for the fact the nuclear deal is the product of European diplomacy. It cannot maintain that deal by trying to violate it. I do not think appeasement and [calming Donald Trump] will work.
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