Tehran (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Iran has no intention of letting its conflict with Israel spill over into neighbouring countries unless it’s forced to, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday. He also stressed that Iran’s response has been driven by self-defence.
Israel and Iran have launched new attacks against each other overnight, continuing into Sunday. US President Donald Trump has said the conflict can be easily resolved, while warning Iran not to target any US sites. Israel claims its campaign aims to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and disrupting its ballistic missile capabilities.
Why does Iran claim its actions are defensive?
Iran’s foreign minister has stated that Tehran’s response to foreign aggression is a reaction to that aggression, and that if it stops, Iran’s reactions would also end. He has described Israel’s strikes on the offshore South Pars gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar, as “a blatant act of aggression and a very dangerous move”.
“Dragging the conflict to the Persian Gulf is a strategic mistake, and its aim is to drag the war beyond Iranian territory,”
he stated.
How is Israel’s campaign affecting nuclear negotiations?
Abbas Araqchi has blamed Israel for trying to disrupt ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the US, which he says could have led to a breakthrough agreement. Iran was due to present a proposal this Sunday during the sixth round of talks, but these have been cancelled due to recent escalations.
“Israel’s attack would never have happened without the U.S. green light and support,”
he said, adding that Iran doesn’t believe the US claims that it wasn’t involved in recent attacks.
“It is necessary for the United States to condemn Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities if they want to prove their goodwill.”
What damage did Israeli strikes cause in Tehran?
Iran says that Israel’s attack killed 78 people on the first day and that dozens more died on the second day, including 60 people murdered when a missile hit a 14-story apartment building in Tehran; 29 of them were children.
Iran said that Israel had attacked its Shahran oil store in Tehran but maintained the situation was under control. According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Sunday, an Israeli hit on an oil refinery close to the capital caused a fire, and Israeli strikes reportedly caused minor damage to Iran’s defence ministry headquarters.
