Iran says nuclear doctrine is unlikely to change
In statements published in Iranian media, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera that Iran’s attitude towards the development of nuclear weapons will not change significantly.
Araqchi warned that the new religious leader has not yet publicly expressed his opinion on the matter.
Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran, opposed the development of weapons of mass destruction in a fatwa, or religious edict, issued in the early 2000s.
While Western countries, including the United States and Israel, have accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons for years, Iranian officials say their nuclear programs are for civilian purposes only.
Araqchi said fatwas were up to the Islamic jurists who issued them, adding that he was not yet in a position to judge the legal or political views of Iran’s new religious leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Iran’s foreign minister said he believes that after the end of the war, countries bordering the Gulf should prepare a new protocol for the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe passage through the narrow waterway is carried out under certain conditions compatible with Iranian and regional interests.
Iran has said it will “not allow a liter of oil to reach the US, Israel and their partners” by closing the vital energy gateway through which one-fifth of global oil and liquefied gas passes.
On Tuesday, the Iranian Parliament Speaker tweeted that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war state.
While the United States is trying to form a naval coalition to escort ships sailing in the strait, most NATO allies say they do not want to participate in military operations against Iran.
NATO member France has said it would only consider forming a joint international coalition to secure passage through the strait following a ceasefire and previous talks with Tehran.
Araqchi said an end to the war would be possible only if conflicts in the region end permanently and Iran receives compensation for the damages it has suffered.
When asked about Iran’s attacks in the Gulf not only targeting US military bases but also affecting residential and commercial areas, Iran’s foreign minister said this was because US forces were moving into urban areas.
“They were targeted wherever American forces gathered, wherever their facilities were. It is possible that some of these places were close to urban areas,” the senior Iranian diplomat said.
Araqchi acknowledged that regional countries were “saddened and their people were harmed or disturbed” by Iran’s attacks, but added that the blame was entirely on the United States for starting the war on February 28.
