(Rome) Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sabouri speaks with the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a map of the Middle East behind him. His collaborators are kind and perhaps a little surprised by the interview, but in the explosive Middle Eastern quagmire all parties must be heard. A career diplomat, Sabouri does not deviate an inch from the official line. The ambassador criticizes Europe for its double standards, but seems more open to Italy. He does not condemn the October 7 massacre, but he swears that Iran’s nuclear program will remain civilian.
What do you think of the new sanctions announced by the European Union against Iran for retaliating against Israel?
“It is sad to see how the European Union quickly takes decisions placing further illegal restrictions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ironically the reason for this is Iran’s right to defend itself from the illegal aggression of the Israeli regime. We call on the European Union to behave responsibly and abandon double standards. The same European Union which is not willing to even verbally condemn the aggressor against the terrorist attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, condemns the victim of this action contrary to shared international standards, or is silent in the face of the massacre of almost 35,000 Palestinians ( According to Israel, 13 thousand are Hamas fighters ed). On the other hand, it sanctions and punishes resistance groups who defend their people and their land.”
Did Italy play a role in the takeover in the region after attacks and counterattacks?
“Explaining the reasons for the military operations of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we asked Italy to fulfill its responsibility as an important country in Europe and rotating president of the G7, in making its contribution to regional stability and security . Stopping the Israeli regime’s war machine in the occupied Palestinian territories, facilitating the provision of humanitarian aid and allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes can be important steps provided by Italy and other European countries to foster stability and peace ”.
How to judge the Hamas attack on October 7, which caused the war in Gaza?
“The roots of Hamas’ October 7 operations should not be sought in that month, that year or a few years earlier. Hamas’s action has its roots in 70 years of occupation by the Israeli regime and in the silence of the international community towards it or even in the closeness shown to that regime, as well as the ineffective initiatives announced for the establishment of a Palestinian state. How can a nation be expected to remain silent in the face of the usurpation of its homeland? Even within the limited territories left to the Palestinians, everything is under the control of Israel. A nation deprived of all its rights cannot be expected to remain immobile and silent.”
And the Israeli hostages?
“They accept Hamas’ conditions and the problem is solved.”
The direct confrontation between Iran and Israel has calmed down, but could it resume?
“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes in peace and stability in the region. Stability is established thanks to the lack of tension. But if Israel creates tension then Iran will respond forcefully.”
Can you guarantee that Iran’s nuclear program will never become military?
“The nuclear program has no military dimension, it is not part of Iranian military doctrine and we do not pursue any military strategy through the nuclear program. The fatwa of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ali Khamenei) explicitly prohibits the use of nuclear weapons from a religious point of view. The claims made by some Western countries, particularly the United States, are in line with a broader goal of pressuring the Islamic Republic of Iran to accept their supposed leadership in the world. Which of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s international documents or reports ever mentioned Iran’s nuclear military program? Currently, it is the United States that, with its excessive demands, has prevented the negotiations from progressing.
We were not the ones who abandoned the negotiating table.”
