- 17 hours ago
In a session titled 'Operation True Promise', Iran's envoy to India, Mohammad Fathali, said Iran was ready both for negotiations and for war, but its priority had always been a diplomatic solution.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00We live in a world of turmoil, and we've been having a conversation for the past two days
00:06on what's happening in West Asia, is there an endgame in sight,
00:11and what happens when the Strait of Hormuz does not open for a longer period of time.
00:19Because everybody here, not just in India, but across the world now,
00:24we're feeling the pinch and the pain of shortage in oil supply.
00:29But we have a stakeholder in this war joining us today, Ambassador of Iran to India, Ambassador Mohamed Fatali.
00:40Thank you so much for joining us, sir.
00:43Yes, it's absolutely for you.
00:45He might move to speaking in Persian if he wants to,
00:50and then we have the Deputy Ambassador, Ambassador Hosseini, with us,
00:55who will translate, should there be a need.
00:58Otherwise, I'm sure Ambassador Fatali will handle all my questions quite comfortably, as he has in the past.
01:05Ambassador Fatali, let me begin with the conversations that have taken place.
01:10It took a while for the Indian Premier to make that call finally,
01:15and have that conversation with President Pazeshkian.
01:19How was it received, firstly, in Iran, and how have you managed the tough times of the responses from New
01:30Delhi
01:31when it comes to the attack, the responses from New Delhi when it comes to an Iranian ship
01:36having been sunk by America off the coast of Gaul in the Indian Ocean in India's backyard?
01:43Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.
01:46First of all, with your permission, I want to thank you for providing me this opportunity,
01:56and thanks to the organizers.
01:58And you know that we are in the time that we have lost our great figure, and great leader,
02:10and I want to say that great father.
02:15And you know that those my generation lived more than four decades, for his eminence,
02:24and we have seen how his eminence guides the Iranian people through the crisis with dignity and coverage.
02:40And you know that I want to say something before I start my answer to your question.
02:53His eminence always advises us,
02:58try your best to stand on the right side of history.
03:06And I believe that his eminence stood on the right side of history and received his reward,
03:16because we believe that the martyrdom is not granted to everybody.
03:22It's selected by Almighty Allah.
03:25And so, you know that his eminence guides us
03:31and brings our country to a high level of technology and science you can see in the virtual space.
03:41And now, we believe that the Iranian people
03:48and all the free nation are deeply saddened for this martyrdom.
04:00And so, I think that we should try our best to have a good action in this situation.
04:13According to your question,
04:18Ms. Mahan, I prefer to speak Persian because I want to don't miss any details.
04:26And so, I ask my colleague, Mr. Hussaini, to translate in Persian, in English and I want to answer in
04:36the Persian language.
04:53In regards to your question that you raised this event,
04:58his Excellency PM Moody,
04:59they had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart,
05:03his Excellency Dr. Pazishkian.
05:16My opinion is this, that we have to boast and enhance the relation between Iran and India.
05:31I, as ambassador of Iran, it was my duty to organize this telephone conversation. I did it.
05:42I believe Iran and India have the common interest.
05:51And I believe both countries have the same fate.
06:00I believe if there is any rift or any gap between these two countries, the enemies will actually use it.
06:20I believe both sides have this maturity that they can handle these political and social issues together and solve everything
06:29which is maybe we as a discrepancies.
06:31I believe in this situation.
06:33This conversation actually happened because during the war we could not establish this conversation,
06:48but after, I mean, during the, after some days we could establish connection between the Iranian and Indian officials.
06:54So you're saying that there was a problem in connecting?
06:59Yeah.
06:59There was a problem in connecting with Tehran and that's why there was a delay in conversation.
07:07There was a problem in connecting with Tehran and that's why there was a problem in the future.
07:09There was a problem in the future, but we could manage it.
07:13After hours we could manage and to establish the connection.
07:20We are now supporting each other.
07:21Because we believe that the pain, the Iranian, they are suffering the same that Indian feel and the same pain
07:36if there would be for the Indian, it is ours.
07:40And you have read the news about it.
07:43No need I tell you again.
07:46Right.
07:47Ambassador, there were also conversations between Foreign Minister Arakshi and External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar,
07:54after which, has the decision been made that there will be the vessels, Indian vessels will be allowed to pass
08:00through the Strait of Hormuz?
08:02How many ships for how many days?
08:04Because India would require continued supply of LPG which we are really shorter.
08:21If you allow me there are some details, if you allow me not to tell because it is not good
08:25because maybe it would be some other abuse of these issues.
08:29But do you have allowed ships to pass through?
08:35Yes, we have allowed but let me not to tell you how many.
08:42As an ambassador of Iran in the future, I will follow this issue in order to happen in the future
08:47as well.
08:48Why?
08:50Because Iran and India have the historical relations.
09:02Iran and India are both countries that they can have a very effective actually on the region.
09:17I, as ambassador, I did my best. Of course there was some delay but it happened.
09:24Okay. But moving on to the bigger picture over here, we will talk about the ship and the vessels again.
09:31But there has been a massive attack that Iran came, that Iran has faced.
09:37And you have lost your supreme leader.
09:41Was Iran prepared for this? Because we were there just a few days before the attack.
09:46We interviewed Foreign Minister Araqchi.
09:49And a few hours after we left, Iran came under attack.
09:54Were you prepared? Did you know that Iran was going to come under attack?
10:05From this view point that we were ready, this is a real matter.
10:13I will tell this to the dear audiences and that I tell you the one point.
10:19We have always told them that, excuse me, we announced several times that be aware, and the opposite side, be
10:33aware.
10:34Iran is ready for negotiation and the war.
10:41But we prefer to negotiation.
10:45And you know that we reinterred in the negotiation table.
10:50We reinterred.
10:51Despite of, we know very well their intention.
10:57But we want to take away any excuse and any pretext.
11:06That's right.
11:06Yeah?
11:07And what also we announced several times.
11:12Be aware.
11:15You were ready, Ambassador, but were you ready or did you know that they will actually assassinate a superior leader?
11:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:21We are ready also in the war.
11:24But be aware.
11:26You can start and you cannot finish.
11:29And then you know that our leader leaving his house because Eminence believed that if you prepare shelter for the
11:4290 million people, after that we go on the shelter.
11:49A lot of people actually had this question, including our chairperson, Arunpuri.
11:55He actually asked me why was the supreme leader there if there was a threat?
12:00Why was he there?
12:01Why was his family in the same compound when you knew that the missiles were coming flying in?
12:09This is the right issue that you are mentioning.
12:12This is the right issue that you are mentioning.
12:27That the Iranian great leader, he was in the shelter or he moved away from the country to another country.
12:34But this when happened, it showed that all of them there were false and he was in his house.
12:55Let me say some words about his character because those things that you hear from the mass media which is
13:03mostly
13:04or the westerners which they don't actually say the true faces of the story.
13:24This is one of the reasons that all of the people in Iran, no matter which religion or which race
13:28they are or ethnicity they actually belong to,
13:31and because of this he is the simplicity of their life.
13:35A very simple life.
13:43Understanding precisely what is happening.
13:51And how to lead Iran from this very critical crisis that we are facing.
14:07If I want to talk about this crisis that we have actually passed through, it may take some hours but
14:13I will just mention some of them.
14:20I request you to go to see the American statement after the 11th September.
14:29We could pass those crisis very carefully.
14:38Please check the Afghanistan crisis.
14:46We tried our best how to pass this crisis as well.
14:50We tried our best how to pass this crisis as well.
14:50We tried our best how to pass this crisis as well.
14:53And you will see the war of the Iraq.
15:08The people are having the belief in him that he could manage all of these crisis and not go to
15:14any war.
15:15But, excuse me.
15:17Despite all the sanctions and limitations,
15:24I would like you to rank Iran in the science, nanotechnology and biotechnology in the region and in the world
15:44as well.
15:53And please just go and see that from the beginning of the revolution that how many sanctions we are under
16:01actually have been put under that these kinds of sanctions.
16:05Well, Ambassador, we know you are delving into the past, you are talking about countries and their experience, but right
16:11now Iran is under direct attack.
16:14Unprecedented by Israel and U.S.
16:17You are saying that we are showing them their place and that it is a resilient Iran.
16:24But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that their job is not over until Iran is over.
16:30The Americans are standing by Israel.
16:33In such a scenario, how do you see and where do you see the end game?
16:38Yeah.
16:38Because you have bombs coming in irrespective of what you are saying right now.
16:43That's right.
17:05I believe that from the beginning we announced that from the beginning the time, the scope, geography and the end
17:12of the war it is in our hands.
17:20And we have announced this one to all of the countries including our neighbors.
17:24We have a very good relationship with our neighbors.
17:34But you are attacking them.
17:36Yeah.
17:36But you are attacking them.
17:37Yes.
17:37I know.
17:38I will explain for you.
17:46And we have announced them that you will not be actually touched your assets whatever you have inside your country.
17:55But we have asked them what we should do.
18:07And what we should do when one of my schools including the children were heated by the Tom Hawk missiles
18:15of Americans.
18:23And 165 girls between the age of the 8 to 12 years old were killed.
18:36Let me, I will go back to that 12 days war in June.
18:39The same happened in that war again also.
18:43But we ignored.
18:50But this time we warned them seriously this time that if happens there would be consequences for them.
18:59We respect them completely.
19:02But we will target the American bases definitely.
19:10I have a question of you.
19:18Why the Americans actually acknowledged that the three F-15 were actually down.
19:25Definitely they were not for transporting the passengers.
19:36Yesterday they announced five refueling planes were hit.
19:41Why they are here?
19:43For what?
19:48And we are witnessing that our Shiraz, one of the city of Iran, were targeted by one of the bases
19:54in one of the neighboring countries.
20:02You are saying that the Minav school was hit not from the aircraft carriers but from one of the countries.
20:18Yeah.
20:19In West Asia, which country?
20:22Where did the Tom Hawk come from?
20:26Let me, I not announce it today.
20:28Why?
20:28Why?
20:39Because we believe that our relation with our neighbors should be in the highest level.
20:54We believe that our neighbors should live peacefully together and consider the other sovereignty.
21:02Please let me tell this point.
21:09During our eight war, eight years imposed by Saddam Hussein from Iraq.
21:28It was the Iran's maturity because of during these eight year wars which was supported and backed by some of
21:37our neighbors, but we just ignored and we just tolerated.
21:43In these 12 days, it means that in 12 days war in June, 37 of our commander were martyred.
21:59What do you think that they came from?
22:02They came from these bases in our neighbors.
22:07Do you know how many bases are around us?
22:11How many?
22:12Do you know or not?
22:14Do you know?
22:15Really?
22:16Yeah, how many bases?
22:17Really?
22:18Why?
22:19No, how many bases where?
22:20Do you know or not?
22:21What?
22:22Why the Mrs. Mahan knows the…
22:25What?
22:25What are you asking?
22:26Do you know or not?
22:28Do you know how many bases are around Iran?
22:31Oh, how many bases around Iran?
22:33Yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:34Around Iran.
22:34How many military Iran?
22:36They announced that 19 bases.
22:4119 bases.
22:43For what?
22:44For what?
22:49I will ask you a very friendly question.
22:53If you were instead of us, what would you do?
22:55Today I can tell you that they actually attacked the Iranian factory who was making the milk for the babies.
23:16More than 1,000 houses were hit.
23:20From where they could actually support it and to come.
23:29With these devices and all of the economies that we have, we know which country, which bases they are supporting.
23:36Who's providing you the help?
23:38Is Russia providing you intelligence on where?
23:41What is located?
23:43Are you getting intelligence from China?
23:48Iran has all the capacities by itself.
23:53So no help from Russia ambassador?
23:56I know.
23:56I know.
23:57I know.
23:57I know.
23:58I know.
23:58I know.
23:59I know.
24:00I know.
24:01I know.
24:02I know that if I said you will work on it for the future as well.
24:07I know.
24:07I know.
24:08I know.
24:08I know.
24:09I know.
24:10I know.
24:11I know.
24:13Actually, they thought that Iran actually helped Russia to attack another country.
24:23We have the equipment and we have the facilities.
24:26We have the equipment and we have the facilities.
24:30In this war, we did not ask anybody, any country, to help us.
24:39You know that how could we produce or make these missiles on which conditions?
24:45And I know he wants to say that.
24:47Okay.
24:50Our enemies suffered strategy failure.
24:57You're calling Iran, Israel and America's attack as strategic failure.
25:02United States of America, United States of USA and the Zionist regime suffered a strategic failure in the three key
25:14components.
25:16Okay.
25:16One, people, our people.
25:20Two, our army.
25:24And three, our leader.
25:28Do you think much about Khamenei will transition into, he is the new supreme leader, but as the new supreme
25:35leader, is he the one calling the shots?
25:38We hear he's injured.
25:39Yes, they have some information that his eminence was injured, but we believe that, we believe that we should rely
25:54on our people.
26:02You see our people are in the street now.
26:18If you watched the news about the Goats day in Tehran and other cities, the people were on the street,
26:26but they were also attacked at the same time by Israelis and Americans.
26:32And all of our high ranking officials were among the people.
26:35And all of our high ranking officials were among the people.
26:59Of course, I heard today that some people, they criticized him that while he was making decision regarding the Iranian
27:06war, he was not in a, what we call it, a good manner, because he was like drunk.
27:11Ambassador Fatali, is much about Khamenei, the supreme leader, calling the shots?
27:16And can, are you looking at an end game over here where there can be a resolution?
27:21I ask you this is because Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that much about Khamenei is the next target.
27:30I believe that in terms of the people, who have the future, who have the capabilities of the Allahs, and
27:41experience, and would have the time for the time for the President and the followers of the Khamenei, this process,
27:59I believe with the capacity and personal capacity of the new leader, because he got
28:04the experience while his father was actually leading the country, he has a very good knowledge
28:10of how to handle the situations, and we have the very bright future for the Iran.
28:15Okay, and what is the end game over here, because Netanyahu says that Khamenei watched about
28:22Khamenei is the next target.
28:28This is a war.
28:33We have also some capabilities.
28:53This is the problem that the Israelis, they don't understand the Iran's situation and
28:57Iran's essence, because we have, according to our constitutions, according to the constitution
29:07that we have, it is not dependent on one person.
29:10Everything is actually organized by the constitutions.
29:14Okay.
29:15Ambassador, the fact that the premise of this war has been that Iran is enriching uranium
29:22beyond 60%, were you working towards a nuclear weapon?
29:27Is this a legitimate attack or war against Iran?
29:40I believe that all of these excuses regarding the enriching uranium just, it was only the
29:48pretexts by the Americans and Israelis.
29:53We were in the midst of the negotiations.
30:02I ask you that to just see the foreign minister of the Oman, his remarks one day before the attack.
30:16He mentioned that the negotiation, it is on the right track.
30:20He mentioned that the negotiation, it is on the right track.
30:24And both sides were satisfied of these negotiations.
30:27And also, they defined the next date for the next negotiations.
30:39It shows that their actual intention, it was not the matter of negotiations or the nuclear issues.
30:45I ask you just to pay attention to this point.
30:51The Iranian geography, which is very important for the Americans in order to actually, to overcome
31:04and to have the actual influence on that.
31:06Mr. Fatali, do you think Israel and America gamed the war?
31:12Or do you think President Trump was misled in understanding that it was a quick in and out?
31:36I believe the Americans, especially the President Trump, they are in one big misunderstanding.
31:46The Zionist regime, according to its own calculation,
32:02It's thought that it could gather all of its actually capabilities in order to finish Iran in a very short
32:08-term war against Iran.
32:17But today, the Americans are looking for one way to get out of this problem.
32:24I'm telling you about the news which is circulating inside the Americas.
32:30But we as Iran, what should we do?
32:33If you were us, what would you do?
32:38Again, did you actually, if you were us, in our shoes, did you actually close all these issues and end
32:46the war?
32:48Did you accept the ceasefire?
32:57Which provides them this opportunity to again, to go and come back with the full power to come back again,
33:03make another war?
33:04Yeah.
33:06Okay.
33:06Our time's up, but I have to ask you this before I let you go.
33:11An Iranian ship was sunk by the Americans here in the Indian Ocean, IRIS Dana.
33:17What's your reaction in India's response to it, the assistance from Sri Lanka, and one ship has docked in India?
33:26Have you met them?
33:28Have you spoken to them?
33:29Could you share some details?
33:34Let me just, I talk about the Iran in India.
33:39Let me not talk about the third country that you mentioned.
33:43The party meaning India.
33:45Yeah.
33:45I'm the ambassador of Iran in India.
33:50I'm the ambassador of Iran in India.
33:55I, as an ambassador, should see everything precisely.
34:03The government of India regarding these ships really helped us.
34:08Accepted our.
34:13Accepted our request, but unfortunately some other countries, they actually refuse to cooperate.
34:20Despite all of this, definitely we will give them the response.
34:28And part of that we have done, definitely you will hear the good news in few days.
34:38Yes.
34:39Iran doesn't leave any action without response.
34:42What?
34:51But all the military experts, they believed and they acknowledged this ship was unarmed.
34:58Even the Americans believed, it didn't have any action readiness for any kind of the military
35:11actions.
35:17But unfortunately in an unmanly action, it was hit by the Americans.
35:23All right.
35:24Will you allow India flagged ships now to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after an understanding?
35:31The condition is very sensitive in the region.
35:51Of course, all the world got this point that Iran is a victim, but it is powerful and they got
35:58this message.
36:10Let's refer these technical issues to the relevant authorities.
36:14We can discuss with them.
36:17But the pain of Indian people is our pain.
36:22It is Iran's pain as well as Ambassador of Iran to India has said.
36:28But clearly, the days ahead for India and for everyone across the world is going to be very difficult
36:35because it doesn't seem like Iran is going to let vessels pass very easily.
36:40That's the message.
36:41And that should be heard loud and clear, not just in this room, but outside as well.
36:46Thank you so much, Ambassador.
36:47Thank you so much.
36:48Thank you so much.
36:50Thank you, Ambassador.
36:50Can you set it up?
Comments