Speaking at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on Monday, Abbas Araghchi said European governments, like the United States, needed to confront the consequences of their policy choices rather than distance themselves from the conflicts they had helped sustain.
He said European policies had contributed to prolonging the war in Ukraine, while their unconditional support for Israel had helped perpetuate the killing of Palestinians.
Referring to the situation in Gaza, Araghchi cited a figure of more than 80,000 Palestinians killed in the enclave, blaming Western support for Israel for the continuing bloodshed.
The Iranian foreign minister also criticized the decisions that led to the war against Iran, noting that it had been launched on the mistaken assumption that the country had been weakened and could be forced to surrender through a military operation lasting only a few days.
The parties that initiated the war, he said, had underestimated Iran’s capacity to resist and expected a swift victory. Instead, he said, they had become mired in a conflict from which they had been unable to find a way out.
He said the war had continued for nine months, describing the situation as the consequence of a fundamental miscalculation by those who had expected Iran to capitulate quickly.
Araghchi rejected any suggestion that European countries had remained detached from the conflict, pointing to their reported military and political support for attacks on Iran.
Lavrov: Russia Will Continue Supporting Iran, Rejects U.S.-Israeli Aggression
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, said Moscow’s relations with Tehran are based on a comprehensive strategic partnership, adding that Russia has helped Iran and will continue to do so.He reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to agreements with Iran, saying Russian personnel are returning to the Bushehr nuclear power plant despite difficult circumstances.
He said Russia and Iran seek a “new, just order” based on non-interference and the rejection of the use of force, describing sanctions as violations of international law.
Moscow supports diplomatic efforts to resolve the current situation, rejects the U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran, the Russian Foreign Minister further said and stressed the importance of reviving dialogue in Yemen and supporting Palestine.
Lavrov stated told reporters that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to visit Moscow in the coming days, while bilateral trade grew by 21% last year.
Hossein Amiri - seyed mohammad kazemi
