JAKARTA - The Speaker of Parliament and head of Iranian negotiator Mohamad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran must continue to defend itself while remaining open to diplomatic talks, in a statement released by the state-owned broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), on Wednesday.
Iran is engaged in a "fundamental and existential" conflict with the US, he said.
"We have never welcomed war, and we are not doing it now, but we must always be ready to fight and ready to defend our national security and interests with our lives," Ghalibaf said, launching CNN (16/7).
"At the same time, we must also use diplomacy and negotiations to advance and consolidate our national interests," he said.
Ghalibaf warned that the "Mullah State" has "no reason to remain committed to an agreement if it does not benefit from it" and that "the armed forces have full freedom of action" to respond to enemy aggression.
He advocated for maintaining the "Iran deal" in the Strait of Hormuz, which allows Iran to control the waterway, and accused the US of "trying to undermine the Iran deal through violence."
"Our national security depends on preserving" control of the strait, he said.
The politician also called on Iranians living in the south of the country, which is often the target of air raids.
"You are the beating heart of Iran, and we will sacrifice our lives for you a thousand times over," Ghalibaf said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
