Iran ‘fully prepared’ if Israel breaks ‘fragile’ ceasefire

Araghchi made the remarks in a Wednesday interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Tianjin, China, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday.

He pointed out that the 12-day war launched by the Israeli regime against Iran was unprovoked military aggression and not simply a "conflict."

"It is not a conflict. It is an act of aggression, unprovoked aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

“We had no way but to exercise our right of self-defense. So, we defended our country. We defended it in a very courageous way and forced the aggressors to stop the aggression and ask for an unconditional ceasefire, which was accepted by us," the top Iranian diplomat emphasized.

He cast doubt on Israel's intention to truly honor the ceasefire, which he characterized as “fragile”.

"The ceasefire is, of course, fragile and the reason is obvious: no ceasefire by the (Israeli) regime is reliable because the regime has a very bad record on that,” he explained.

“We are very careful and fully prepared if the ceasefire is broken, but this is not our wish. That was not our wish from the beginning. We did not want this war, but we were ready for that,” he stressed.

The foreign minister said Iran does not wish for the war to continue, but reaffirmed the country’s full readiness should aggression resume.

Between June 13 and 24, Israel waged a blatant and unprovoked aggression against Iran, killing at least 1,060 people, including high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

On June 22, the United States also entered the war and bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, in a clear violation of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Zionist regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the illegal assault.

Iran open to talks if other side shows genuine intent for win-win solution

Araghchi said Iran will resume nuclear negotiations with the United States if it sees a real intention for a win-win solution.

“There should be a real intention for a win-win solution. Our nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and we are 100% confident in that,” he added.

He emphasized that Iran has no problem sharing this confidence with others, which “can happen only through negotiation.”

Iran and the United States had held five rounds of indirect talks on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program before June 13, when Israel launched aggression on the Islamic Republic.

Mediated by Oman, the 6th round of talks had been planned to be held in the Omani capital of Muscat on June 15, but was called off due to the attacks.

Firm determination can lead to a negotiated agreement

Araghchi said the opposite side’s “serious and real” determination can lead to a negotiated agreement.

He stressed the need for the US to drop the military option, adding that the sides should move forward and seek a solution through negotiations.

He noted that the US attacks on the three Iranian nuclear facilities proved that there is no military solution to the country’s nuclear program.

"Only one diplomatic and negotiated solution can be effective, and its realization is only possible when they set aside their military ambitions and compensate for the damages they have inflicted on us. Then we will be ready to participate in negotiations,” Araghchi pointed out.