Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, before leaving New Delhi yesterday following the BRICS foreign ministers meeting, told reporters that Tehran has expressed openness to the efforts of any nation capable of facilitating a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian conflict, with particular emphasis on China, given the strategic partnership between the two countries, reported TASS.
“We appreciate any country that can help, especially China. China has previously played a significant role in restoring relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” Araghchi stated. He further emphasized the strength of Iran’s ties with China: “Iran maintains very good relations with China; the two nations are strategic partners. We are confident that the Chinese side has sincere intentions, and any steps they take to support diplomacy will be beneficial.”
“We are interested in negotiations, but only if our counterpart is serious,” he said at the press conference. “Therefore, the most important issue right now is trust. We cannot trust the Americans at all,” he reiterated. The contradictory messages we receive from the American side are different and change every day, he said.
The fact is that there are warmongers who want to drag the United States into another war, and I hope America does not make a mistake and that diplomacy ultimately prevails, he added. In response to a question about Trump saying that Iran should not have nuclear weapons, Araghchi said: “Iran has never wanted nuclear weapons, and they confirmed this during the agreement in 2015.”