Islamabad:
The Minister of Defense, Khawaja Asif, has lowered strongly over Israel and its western allies for “unprovoked” and “illegal” aggression against Iran, warning that the double ratings of the West and the contempt of diplomacy have pushed the region to a dangerous escalation.
In an extensive interview with the official news agency of Iran, Irna, held in Islamabad, lashed out both in the United States and in the Zionist regime, accusing them of dismantling diplomatic paths and feeding regional instability through repeated violations of international law.
“Unlike Iran, Westerners have destroyed the opportunity for diplomacy and are the cause of the beginning of the aggressions of the Zionist regime and the United States,” he said, added that Iran’s behavior had remained “very constructive” at all times.
Pointing out the “hypocrisy” of global nuclear supervision organisms, ASIF criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA), saying that its history was contaminated by bias and inconsistency.
“A regime that is not even a member of the TNP and there is no monitoring and inspection of its nuclear arsenals, can do anything and has the authorization to carry out any aggression and attack against Palestine, Gaza, Yemen and now against Iran,” he said, referring to the excess of Israel of the scrutiny faced by others.
“All these countries are the objectives of these deliberate and reckless actions of Tel Aviv, which is not responsible for the OIEA,” he added.
The Minister of Defense said that Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and the American support for those attacks, had violated international standards.
He called the attacks in the “terrorist” nature and accused the United States of committing “aggressive crimes” by hitting Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“These actions,” said Asif, “are contrary to international law, the UN letter and humanitarian norms.”
Expressing concern about the growing volatility in the region, Asif observed that Tehran had constantly pressed for diplomacy, while it was the opposite side that moved away from the negotiations.
“I think the situation has intensified at a dangerous level, especially in recent weeks when they will continually emphasized the need for negotiations and participation in this whole process, and that the Iranians have never left the negotiating table,” he said.
“Iran has never started the war, but both the destruction of diplomacy and the initiation of the war were carried out on the other side (America and Israel), which led to Israel’s illegitimate aggression against the nation,” he added.
The minister said Iran had always favored commitment, despite the provocations.
“It is ridiculous that the West will always want them to return to the negotiating table, because the Iranians did not abandon the negotiating table, but they have always demanded interaction and negotiations,” he said.
He pointed out that even while the Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi was having conversations with European counterparts, another act of aggression against Tehran was launched, showing a pattern of undermining peace efforts.
Asif argued that the Israeli aggression had crossed the borders and was now being directed directly to Iran, which described as a “planned conspiracy.”
“Israel’s continuous aggression against the Palestinians had reached Iran,” he said, “calling her a planned conspiracy and implemented by the Zionist regime.”
With the support of Tehran’s alignment with the Palestinian cause, Asif said: “The Iranians are with Palestine, and this is never a crime.”
