A ceasefire between Iran and Israel brokered by the US continues to hold, but many questions remain about what is left of Tehran’s nuclear programme amid controversy on the impact of US strikes on the facilities.
Speaking to Euronews, Iran’s ambassador to Greece, Malek Hossein Gevzad, said the crisis had rallied the Iranian people and that the damage to nuclear sites from US strikes would be assessed by experts.
Gevzad said Iran believes in diplomacy, but stressed that circumstances have changed and decisions are now taken with the protection of national interests in mind.
Diplomacy and self-protection: finding a difficult balance
“The basic principle of Iran’s foreign policy is and remains diplomacy and negotiations,” he said. However, he noted that following the aggression that, according to the Iranian side, Israel and the US have shown, Iran has been forced to adjust its stance.
US pilots dropped some 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran, delivering what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear programme that Israel views as an existential threat.
Before the US involvement, Israel had been pummeling Iran for more than a week and had requested US intervention to complete the job. American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site.
According to the Iranian diplomat to Greece, these actions were a violation of Iran’s territorial sovereignty, which gives the Islamic Republic the right to respond.
Damage to nuclear facilities – Estimates expected
Gevzad argued that Iran’s nuclear programme was used exclusively for peaceful purposes and was severely damaged.
The extent of the damage is being assessed by Iranian experts once the safety of the infrastructure has been ensured, he said.
The reaction of Iranians and the attitude of the West
Despite the tension between Iran and the West, the ambassador stressed the unity of the Iranian people: “The aggression caused national unity and strengthened the rallying of the people around the government and the armed forces.”
In the same context, he strongly criticised Europe, which he accused of not only failing to condemn the attacks, but in some cases supporting the aggressor side.
The Iranian ambassador praised Russia and China for their condemnation of the Israeli-US strikes on Tehran’s nuclear sites. Gedanz said this shows a clear stance in favour of Iran, condemning hostile actions against it.
Their support, he said, “is an important factor in maintaining international stability and peace”
The Iranian diaspora in Greece
The ambassador concluded by thanking the Iranian community residing in Greece, which he described as “united and committed to defending the homeland”.
He said Iranians in the diaspora stood in solidarity with the people, government and armed forces of Iran.
A relatively small Iranian diaspora resides in Greece, with most arriving after the 1979 Iranian Revolution or the Iran-Iraq War. In 2021, approximately 2,500 Iranians were living in Greece.
