PRESS CONFERENCE BY Foreign Minister of Iran

 

During a press conference at Headquarters this afternoon, Manouchehr Motaki, Foreign Minister of Iran, called on the United Nations Security Council to immediately deal with the deepening crisis in the Middle East, that began with the abduction of an Israeli soldier on Sunday at a military outpost near the Gaza border.

[In response to the abduction, Israel rounded up dozens of members of the Hamas-led Palestinian Government, and arrested Cabinet and Parliament Members.]

Mr. Motaki said he originally had planned to discuss important regional issues, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran’s nuclear status, but he chose instead to focus on the “sad and horrible incident in occupied Palestine”, which he called “a barbaric invasion and Government-sponsored terrorism by the Zionist regime”.

“Isn’t this considered a threat against international peace?  Shouldn’t the United Nations deal with this matter seriously?” Mr. Motaki asked.  He said the invasion of occupied Palestine had taken place thousands of times and went against all international laws and human principles.  It was definitely the biggest threat to global security.  Peace without justice in the Middle East was impossible.  The only justifiable solution to the Palestinian issue was one based upon one Government.  All the Palestinian refugees must return to their homeland, and then after a democratic process, the people of Palestine must select their own Government.

Mr. Motaki said the United Nations must intervene now and act according to its principle in establishing international peace, and it shouldn’t follow the goals of certain Governments.  He questioned why an invasion of armed forces was considered a terrorist act, while the bombardment of innocent people and a “barbaric invasion” of others’ lands was called self-defence.  He had sent a letter to the Secretary-General, requesting the Security Council to act on the Palestinian issue.

When asked about a mutual defence agreement signed between Iran and Syria, Mr. Motaki said military cooperation between countries was natural.  He then strongly condemned the “invasion of the Zionist regime”, after Israeli jets flew over the palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Responding to a question about the possibility of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launching a test missile, he said he believed in the complete disarmament of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.  But if the international framework for testing was permitted for certain countries, there should be no exceptions.  And if there was a global ban, that ban should involve all nations.

When asked whey there was so much pressure on Iran to stop the enrichment of uranium, Mr. Motaki said Iran had repeatedly been clear in its position.  His country had acted on its commitments and obligations for 36 years as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had made many inspections, but in all its reports, had never said Iran had violated its nuclear activities.  But trust was a two -way road.  Iran had taken confidence-building measures; now the other side must, too.  It was against the NPT to stop other countries from their right to enrich uranium.  There must be a stronger regulatory process.  Developing countries were determined to reach self-sufficiency.  Iran would continue to cooperate within the nuclear framework and it would not ask for anything beyond what was its right.

And when asked why Iran would not respond to a 5 July deadline about an international offer for Tehran to roll back its uranium enrichment programme, Mr. Motaki said the proposal contained ambiguities that must be made clear, and a response would come in August.

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For information media • not an official record