Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi delivers a speech at the DGAP
The country's very own religious principles would forbid Iran from holding weapons of mass destruction, said Salehi, referring to a Fatwa of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Further, his country was ready to "secularize" and to give a "legally binding guarantee" that Iran will never apply itself to the non-peaceful use of nuclear energy. It remains problematic, however, that the two countries had lost trust in one another.
When asked how he would explain this erosion of trust, Salehi replied, “The lack of trust does not emanate from the nuclear issue." But results from the fact that the US and the West "incorrectly believe" that Iran's political vision stands in direct contradiction to their interests – "but that is not the case". There is only one important difference, he argues, between Iran and the US, “and that is our position on the Palestinian issue.”
Salehi's speech was followed by a critical discussion, moderated by Sylke Tempel, editor-in-chief of INTERNATIONALE POLITIK (IP).
Audio recordings of the speech and discussion are available below.
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