Iran emerged stronger after war, world now sees Strait of Hormuz as our ‘atomic bomb’: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that Iran emerged stronger from the recent conflict and said the world now recognises the country's ability to
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that Iran emerged stronger from the recent conflict and said the world now recognises the country's ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic deterrent, while insisting Tehran's nuclear programme and uranium enrichment are "not for sale." Speaking in an interview with Iranian documentary filmmaker Javad Mogouyi, released on July 19, Araghchi described the chaotic early days of the war, Iran's contingency plans for protecting its leadership, and Tehran's refusal to bow to either military threats or diplomatic pressure. 'We were cut off from everything' Recalling the opening days of the conflict, Araghchi said Iranian officials lost communication with one another and struggled to determine who had survived. "I came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... and for about three days, we were completely cut off from everything. We were only trying to find out who was alive and who had been martyred." He said he had no confirmed information about the President during the first days of the war and did not meet him until three days after hostilities began. "I saw the President for the first time three days after the start of the war," Araghchi said, adding that his first high-level security meeting took place six days into the conflict at a secure location.
He also revealed that three participants in that meeting were later killed. Iran had contingency plan for leadership attack Araghchi disclosed that Iran had prepared a contingency plan in the event of an attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He referred to an internal emergency protocol known as "Code 110." "Everyone knew what Code 110 meant: that if Code 110 happened, we would do a certain thing. It was written and approved, and the Leader himself had seen and confirmed it." He said the response plan was activated immediately and in an organised manner if such a scenario arose. "That is why it began immediately, and it began very systematically and organised. We weren't surprised at all." 'Our enrichment is not for sale' Araqchi has said Tehran will not abandon its uranium enrichment programme in exchange for incentives or under military pressure, insisting that Iran's nuclear programme is "not for sale." Araqchi said Iran had rejected what he described as attempts to persuade the country to compromise on its nuclear programme during negotiations before the recent 12-day war. 'You can neither threaten us nor bribe us' Araqchi said Iran's negotiating position remained unchanged despite mounting international pressure.
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