Regional war Netanyahu’s safety net, Amir-Abdollahian says: Exclusive

Posted on February 28, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

February 27, 2024

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, speaks to journalists during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bouhabib in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 (AP)

In an interview with Al Mayadeen, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gives insight on regional and international issues, ranging from the Gaza genocide to the nuclear agreement.

The performance of the United Nations is unfortunate, and Iran cannot leave space for recognition of the Israeli entity, because it does not acknowledge its legitimacy and considers it an occupation power over Palestinian lands, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Al Mayadeen on the sidelines of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Throughout the interview, the Iranian Foreign Minister discussed topics such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, particularly in light of what is happening in Gaza, the events unfolding in the Strip and the Middle East region, and Iran’s current foreign policy and nuclear program.

UN being used by those in power

Upon being asked in what light Iran viewed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva taking all that is going on in Gaza into consideration, Amir-Abdollahian referred to his speech during the 55th UNHRC meeting, wherein he said the UN’s performance and behavior regarding what was happening in Gaza and the West Bank was “unfortunately unacceptable.”

“The Security Council did not fulfill its duty as the United States continuously, unilaterally, and arrogantly exploited its veto power. Every prospect and proposal of a ceasefire resolution in Gaza has been rejected by the American veto, exhibiting a contradictive behavior to the banners of primary human rights. Even at the UNHCR, we still have not seen any adequate mobilization in this regard,” he said.

“During the first month of the war and the start of the genocide in Gaza, I visited Geneva and met with prominent officials at the United Nations, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and frankly told them that the commotion made, in the same council, when claims circulated the death of an Iranian woman, would not be forgotten.

“[Does the UNHCR] not want to create a special committee that relays the facts and investigations into war crimes, genocide, and human rights violations being committed in Gaza? So far, we have not witnessed a singular decisive measure taken by any of the organizations that fall under the UN.

“Of course, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, has taken some fairly good and appropriate measures, such as visiting the borders of Rafah, loudly demanding the opening of the Rafah Crossing, and the prohibition of the killings of more children, women, and people deprived of food and medicine. However, he could not efficiently and corporeally help the people of Gaza using the UN’s mechanisms. Meanwhile, at the UNHRC, we clearly see that everything succumbs to the will and control of those in power, the lying pretenders of human rights advocacy,” he stressed.

South Africa ICJ lawsuit

“There are two simultaneous lawsuits raised against the Israeli apartheid and criminal occupation. The first one is a South African lawsuit filed against Israel and is currently being adjudicated. We hope the judges announce their charges in the upcoming days for them to be transformed into principles and foundations for all UN organizations, including the UNHRC,” Amir-Abdollahian said when asked about whether South Africa’s lawsuit at the ICJ could have a different outcome from the ICJ deliberations, taking into account that there is no veto power within the ICJ.

The second lawsuit, he clarified, “Was raised by the UN requesting judicial guidance regarding the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, based on a decision made a few weeks ago. The ICJ’s guidance, in this case, could become a precedent that presents a solution to the Palestinian cause.”

While the foreign minister maintained Iran’s support for South Africa’s case as one of justice and bravery, recalling how Tehran championed it at the political and legal levels while providing extensive media coverage for the case, he said Iran had one caveat regarding the case

“One criticism we have is that, as the Islamic Republic of Iran, we have to work under the paradigms that do not leave space for recognition of the Israeli entity, because we do not acknowledge its legitimacy and consider it an occupation power over Palestinian lands.

“The occupation is not sustainable, and it will dissolve after all, just like its precedent in Algeria, despite its extension for several decades, it was defeated by the resilience of the Algerian people and their Resistance,” he stressed.

Expanding circle of fire?

Commenting on the Israeli attacks on Baalbek, northeastern Lebanon, which is a precedent since the 2006 July War, and whether it would make for an escalation that could ignite an all-out war that extends beyond the Lebanese front in the south, Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “thinks the solution to his extremist government’s and his own salvation is war.”

“The Zionist entity itself is sustained by war and insecurity in the region. However, today, what is the situation we are experiencing? Israel was unable to achieve any of its goals from the war in Gaza,” he said.

The Iranian top diplomat explained that the Israeli occupation “could not defeat Hamas, or demilitarize it. It failed to locate and retrieve its captives, and many of its other goals, including capturing Yahya al-Sinwar, despite the mass bombing and the full-on genocide it perpetrated on the Gaza Strip, and the massive funding the US has supplied it with.”

“Our intel and satellite images we obtained, also show that weaponry and military gear suppliance operations from the US bases and ships to Tel Aviv have been active round-the-clock,” Amir-Abdollahian revealed. “This is what we discussed with several regional leaders, whose countries comprise US military bases, and told them the lands of Islamic nations must not be transformed to grounds that allow the extension of weapons to the Israeli entity, which allows it to kill more Palestinians.”

“What is Netanyahu looking for now, and why did he attack east Lebanon? Notably, not a single Israeli attack passed without a consequential response, and the region and Hezbollah have both responded strongly and appropriately to all Israeli aggression,” he said, leaving it up to the Resistance to escalate how it sees fit.

Threat of regional war?

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In a follow-up question regarding his commentary on the presence of foreign powers in the region, the Iranian Foreign Minister was asked about Iran’s opinion on the increased Western presence in the region in light of the growing number of US and other Western naval entities and whether this could signify an escalation that could affect and reach Iran, Amir-Abdollahian simply answered: “No.”

“Our evaluations indicate that Netanyahu wants to expand the war and wants to implicate the United States in conflicts and wars, now more than ever, at a rate that surpasses the holistic support the US and its allies have been supplying the Israeli entity with… But the main point is that the US and other Western nations are seemingly encountered with specific conditions,” he said.

“There are several points to consider regarding the latest updates and lineups toward Palestine. The first is that the US backs “Israel’s” war and genocide. Americans are facing special conditions in light of the upcoming elections which spike the need for the Israeli lobby’s support. We realize that they do not possess the will to end the war, but they have simultaneously expressed, through letters and statements, their aversion to an expanded war.

“They are very well aware of the dangers that could follow if the war is expanded. On the other hand, they are part of the expansion operation through their joint aggression with Britain in Yemen. The Americans discuss the de-escalation of the war, not stopping it. In my opinion, that signifies their malicious behavior embodied by giving Netanyahu the green light. Today, in Europe, everyone is discussing the need to end the war. But Britain, in this case, is jumping a double rope. It seeks to proceed with its regional foreign policies alongside the US.

“Islamic and Arab nations also advocate for the end of the war. But in all cases, we must not forget “Israel’s” forceful displacement policies of Gazans to the Sinai desert, and people of the West Bank to dispersed parts of the Jordanian lands.

“This is certainly what Netanyahu is striving for, and we vivaciously declare that if it weren’t for the Palestinian Resistance and the resilience of the Palestinian masses, the reality of the regions aligned with the occupied Palestinian territories would have been completely different,” he stressed.

Displacement into Sinai

“Around two weeks ago, I visited the region and met with several Resistance leaders and the Resistance leadership. According to the reports they provided, the Resistance is at its best. Regarding its morale, despite all the hardships and the challenges, it remains spirited, be it in Lebanon or Palestine,” Amir-Abdollahian said of the regional tour he made in early February.

“The Resistance affirmed that they possessed the material and human capabilities necessary to maintain all acts of resistance in the lengthiest war yet,” he added.

“The spirits of the people of Gaza and the West Bank deserve to be commended. They have indeed inter-moved in Gaza, but based on our accurate information, more than 600,000 Palestinians remain in the north, in afflicted and destroyed areas, and refuse to leave, despite all the difficult conditions,” he said.

Asked about whether the displacement of the Palestinian people to Rafah was feasible, he said the Israeli plans “will not be materialized and will not be able to direct people to Egypt and enforce their displacement.”

“We frankly announced that the US cannot proceed with its hypocritical discourse that urges de-escalations on one hand, and then imposes measures that intensify the war and allow Israel to carry out its crimes by providing it with the necessary intelligence and logistics,” he added.

“Indicators show that the West, regional countries, Islamic nations, the Palestinian leadership, and the Resistance, all agree that if the US ceased all military aid to Israel, then Netanyahu would not be able to carry on with the war, not even for an hour. What happened over the past five months in Gaza is depicted in scenes that portray the pride of its Resistance, its women, and its men.”

Red Sea confrontations

The Iranian Foreign Minister revealed that he talked with his British counterparts about the joint US-UK aggression on Yemen, calling it a “strategic mistake” and underlining that Yemen has “proven that they do not trifle with any party regarding the security of their lands. They have been able to sound this message and clearly relayed that ships carrying military cargo to Israel will be stopped,”

“Remarkably, they kept their vows to the fullest. If you take a satellite look at the Red Sea, you will find hundreds of ships on that route. We realize that shipping and insurance costs have soared, but trade ships that do not carry any supplies to the Israeli occupation cross the Red Sea safely,” he clarified, commending the Yemeni leadership for its steadfastness and for adhering to its principles.

“The National Salvation Government has addressed that maritime and the Red Sea security is of its highest interests. In Iran, we also sail this route for international trade, and the entire world would benefit if it were safe, but the root of the issue lies in Gaza, not the Red Sea.

“If the genocide in Gaza ended, then the situation in the Red Sea would return to normal. We appreciate Yemen’s brave support of Palestine, and Yemenis continue taking that road to champion Gaza, without jeopardizing the safety of certain shipments and maritime security.

“In constant reminders, the general maritime security has not been jeopardized, but ships headed toward the occupation are,” he said, once again stressing that Yemen is not targeting any ships that are not affiliated with the Israeli occupation.

Iranian ‘regional proxies’?

“We do not have any proxies in the region,” the Iranian Foreign Minister underlined. “Hezbollah and the Resistance in Palestine work as they see fit, based on their own interests. Yemen follows the same framework as well. In Iraq and Syria, groups to fight ISIS were formed and still operate for their countries’ interests and considerations.”

“It would be best if the United States focused on finding a political solution instead of throwing accusations and fabricating false scenarios,” he said of the Western accusations that Iran is using regional Resistance movements, whether in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, or elsewhere, as regional proxies and tools to further its interests. “Five months of war proved that warfare is not the solution, thereby emphasizing the need for political resolutions realistically and from a Palestinian-centric lens.”

“I told David Cameron that following 80 years of occupation, it is about time for Palestinians to determine their own fate and the future of their nation. It is good that countries meet and propose suggestions to resolve the Palestinian issue, but what is better and more appropriate is the focus on Palestinian solutions that stem from the unity of Palestinian groups and factions, regardless of their political direction.

“I realized, through my meetings with all Palestinian Resistance leaders, that they have been holding meetings for weeks to suggest recommendations and ideas related to different topics, and we believe that now is their chance to democratically propose their ideas on negotiation tables. In turn, all related countries should consider purely Palestinian notions to aid the people of Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank.

No difference between Biden, Trump

The Iranian Foreign Minister, asked for a comment on the US election slated for the year-end, underlined that Tehran does not see a significant difference between both US President Joe Biden and candidate Donald Trump.

“Over the past 45 years, the US saw several democratic and republican presidents. What is of significance to us is their behavior. If they treated Iran with mutual respect and forego their errors and hostility, then we would return the respect,” he said.

“If they continue employing this hostility, then our response would be direct and appropriate, whatever the party and political direction they might belong to and have,” Amir-Abdollahian stressed.

Iranian nuclear file

“Under President Ebrahim Raisi’s government, we held serious talks with nuclear negotiators, but unfortunately, at a certain point, the war in Ukraine cast its shadows on them,” he said.

“Letters are still being exchanged between Tehran and Washington regarding several topics. The American side sometimes hints at its desire for all participating parties to revert to their previous obligations as per the nuclear agreement. On our part, we frankly expressed our readiness to welcome recommendations that would allow reversion to previous commitments, but also annul the unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran,” he clarified.

“The Iranian government affirmed from the start that it does not consider the nuclear agreement as an approach to resolving the country’s issues, but Iran has proven that it is one of the countries most committed to its international pledges,” he once again said of Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran has maintained for years is solely peaceful.