 "Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Photo: AP)")
Amid the brewing tensions between Iran and Israel, Tehran said that it will “respond immediately” and decisively if any of its nuclear sites are attacked. Iran maintained that any form of attack on these sites would trigger an “all-out war in the region”. The warning came from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his interview with Al Jazeera on Friday.
The Iranian diplomat accused both Israel and the US of plotting to launch military attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, insisting that such strikes would be “one of the biggest historical mistakes the US could make."
The remarks came amid reports that Iranian top decision-makers are concerned about the fact that US President Donald Trump might in his second term empower Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iran’s issues with the Trump administration
Iran is also worried about the possibility of the Trump administration tightening US sanctions on its oil industry. During the interview, Araghchi suggested that the United States could free blocked Iranian funds as a first confidence-building step between the two hostile countries.
“Iranian assets and funds have been frozen at various points by the US (which) has not fulfilled its previous pledges (to free them). These things can be done by the US administration to bring confidence between us,” Araghchi said. During his first stint in the office, Trump imposed harsh sanctions as part of his “maximum pressure” policy against the country.
In response to this, Tehran breached the 2015 nuclear deal and decided to accelerate its uranium enrichment. Before winning the 2024 US presidential election, Trump has vowed to return to harsh policies he pursued in his previous term.
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More ShortsIsrael has its own complains
Earlier this week, a report from The Wall Street Journal stated that Israel has alleged that Iran is sending suitcases filled with US dollars to Hezbollah through Beirut’s international airport. The Jewish nation raised this issue with the US-led committee which is currently monitoring the Lebanon ceasefire.
One of the officials close to the matter said that Israel is also claiming that Turkish citizens are being utilised to smuggle cash from Istanbul to Beirut. Tel Aviv has reportedly conveyed its grievances to the Lebanese government. However, Beirut maintained that the capital’s airport is under strict military control.
The latest complaint from Israel and the warning from Iran indicates that despite Lebanon and the Gaza ceasefire in place, the tensions between Tel Aviv and Tehran are still at their peak.