Iran will defend itself in Israel conflict with ‘full force’, official says

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says Iran is ‘for the clip being’ focused connected targeting Israeli sites lone arsenic struggle enters sixth day.

Iran has warned that immoderate involution by the United States successful its conflict with Israel would hazard an “all-out war”, arsenic the determination rivals traded rocket occurrence for a sixth day.

After President Donald Trump hinted astatine greater US engagement successful the struggle and sent warplanes to the region, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, connected Wednesday pledged that Iran would support itself with “all force”.

Here are immoderate cardinal takeaways from an exclusive interrogation the Iranian authoritative gave to Al Jazeera.

Will Iran onslaught US forces?

Baghaei said Iran is “under an onslaught by a genocidal regime”, adding it volition support itself with “full force” against Israel’s “war of aggression”.

He said Iran is “for the clip being” focused connected targeting Israeli sites only, and Tehran trusts its neighbours would not let the US to usage their territory for attacks against it.

“Right now, we absorption connected defending ourselves from attacks from Israel, and that is wherefore we person been precise careful, precise responsible, precise calculated successful our effect to these attacks. We person targeted subject bases, information bases wrong the occupied lands, truthful for the clip being, we are focused connected that,” helium said.

“We person precise bully relations with Arab countries, and they are precise cognisant of the information that Israel has been trying to resistance others into the warfare … We are definite our Arab countries hosting US bases would not let their territory to beryllium utilized against their Muslim neighbours,” helium added.

“I spot that the knowing betwixt Iran and our neighbouring countries would not let immoderate 3rd enactment to maltreatment their territory,” helium said.

Is Iran consenting to prosecute successful diplomacy?

According to Baghaei, “diplomacy ne'er ends”. But helium said Tehran nary longer trusts Washington.

“We were successful the mediate of [nuclear] negotiations [with the US], and each of a sudden, Israel started attacking Iran. And nary 1 tin ideate successful our region, not lone successful Iran, that Israel started this warfare without a anterior greenish airy from the US,” helium said.

“So I deliberation what is astatine involvement is the credibility of a state that is expected to beryllium a planetary power. What is astatine involvement is the planetary instrumentality that has been astir annihilated due to the fact that of each the atrocities committed successful occupied Palestine and successful Syria and elsewhere,” helium noted.

Baghaei said Iran is successful interaction with different countries, including Russia, due to the fact that it is simply a imperishable subordinate of the United Nations Security Council. “We expect everyone that has leeway, that has a mandate nether the UN Security Council, to enactment to assistance execute a solution successful condemnation of this attack,” helium said.

Will Iran springiness up its atomic programme?

Israel has said its attacks connected Iran came to halt Tehran from gathering atomic weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied that it seeks atomic bombs and that its atomic programme is peaceful.

Baghaei argued: “Where are the IAEA’s usurpation reports? The existent criminals weaponry inspected facilities.”

“Our atomic programme has been portion and parcel of our close nether the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty]. So we person not done thing incorrect nether planetary law. Our atomic programme started successful the 1950s and it has continued for the past 5 decades wholly peacefully,” helium said.

He accused Israel of attacking a “peaceful installation” successful Iran and questioned wherefore members of the NPT allowed the onslaught to happen.

“This is wholly banned nether planetary law. This is wholly criminal. And successful accordance with Article 573 of [the UN normal connected atomic safety, arsenic adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency] IAEA … the menace of onslaught against a country’s peaceful installation constitutes a menace to bid and security,” helium noted.

“Now, we are witnessing a superior breach of bid … truthful I deliberation the planetary assemblage indispensable marque Israel and its supporters accountable for what they person done successful their aggression against Iran.”