Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said Iran has every reason not to trust US, while US have every reason to trust Iran.
The Iranian minister, who is in India for a BRICS conclave, said there is no military solution to anything related to Iran, even as he called for a “greater role” for India in the peace talks on West Asia.
“Iran has every reason not to trust US while Americans have every reason to trust us,” he said, adding “We will welcome any constructive role by India.”
Highlighted the trust deficit from the Iranian side on the Americans, Araghchi said the negotiations were suffering owing to this.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was ready to help ships of those countries which were not at war with Iran to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran had effectively blocked the strait, a critical passage for global energy supplies, since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28. The strait had earlier handled about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply.
He further ruled out a military solution to anything related to Iran, Reuters news agency reported. Araghchi said that while the mediation process by Pakistan had not failed, it was facing difficulties.
‘Contradictory messages made us reluctant about US’ real intentions’
While talking to reporters during his visit to New Delhi for the BRICS foreign ministers’ summit, Araghchi said that contradictory messages from the Americans had made Iran reluctant regarding the real intentions of the US.
The Iran FM said that Tehran would be interested in negotiations “only if the other side is serious” about talks, according to Reuters. Araghchi said that the situation around Hormuz is “very complicated”, adding that Iran is “trying to help”. He said that anything China could go regarding the situation would be welcome.
This comes even as US President Donald Trump held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.
While Washington and Tehran agreed on a temporary ceasefire last month, they have not yet been able to reach a permanent pact to end the conflict.
‘Attach great importance to relations with India’
Araghchi said that Iran attaches “great importance to our relations with India”. “.. I have to appreciate the warm hospitality extended to me and my delegation by the Indian government and my very good friend Minister Jaishankar, with whom I have a very good personal and working relationship,” the Iranian foreign minister said.
He said he had been in touch with Jaishankar for the past couple of months “when the war was going on, or as I prefer to say, the act of aggression against my country was going on…” The Iranian foreign minister also said that Tehran was interested in continuing energy business with India.
