Tehran, Oct 6 (IANS) Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Tehran seperately, each stressing Iran’s resolve to defend its national interests and security.
“Negotiation is meaningless with an enemy that resorts to acts of assassination, sanctions, pressure, and threats on a daily basis, and breaks its promises,” Pezeshkian said in his meeting with Mirzoyan on Monday, according to a statement published on the website of his office.
“So far, they (the United States) have attacked us three times following talks, which demonstrates that they are not seeking dialogue, but rather aiming to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran’s establishment,” Pezeshkian said.
Pezeshkian noted that Washington offers no answer to the killing of 168 innocent children at a school in Iran’s southern city of Minab on February 28, Xinhua news agency reported.
“None of their actions and behaviors towards Iran complies with international law,” he added.
Araghchi said Iran will “decisively” defend its national interests and security, but has never hesitated to use diplomacy to prevent escalation of tensions, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
He said the “precarious” consequences of the US-Israeli military “aggression” against Iran are the main cause of the insecurity imposed on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mirzoyan, for his part, emphasised the “strategic nature” of relations between Armenia and Iran, and Yerevan’s continued commitment to expanding cooperation with Tehran, the statement said.
In his meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Mirzoyan stressed that his country will not allow its territory to be used for any action against Iran, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
–IANS
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