Seyyed Abbas Araqchi made the remarks on Wednesday night in a meeting with Abdul Kharis Almasyhari, the chairman of the Indonesian Parliament’s First Commission, and his entourage in Tehran.
In the meeting, Araqchi said Iran’s reinforcement of its defensive capabilities is just for deterrence, and is not against any other country.
“In its contemporary history, Iran has never initiated any war, and will not do so in the future,” Araqchi said.
“However, it will not hesitate for a moment to defend itself, and will give a rapid and crushing response to any aggressor,” he added.
Photo of a meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi (1st, L) and an Indonesian delegation headed by Abdul Kharis Almasyhari, the chairman of the Indonesian Parliament’s First Commission (1st, R), in Tehran. (Photo by the Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Araqchi’s comments come as tensions have escalated between Iran and the United States, which recently announced plans to form a coalition to supposedly protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from what it calls an Iranian threat.
The US has asked its allies, including Germany, Japan, France, Britain and Israel, to join the coalition. The call has, however, not been warmly received, with Israel and Britain becoming the only parties which have said flat out that they would join the alliance.
Tensions between Iran and the US heightened after Washington withdrew last year from an international nuclear deal signed with Tehran in 2015.
Since then, the US has been tightening the screws on Tehran’s main source of income, aiming to cut Iran’s oil sales to zero, after President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic in November.
In his Wednesday comments, Araqchi referred to the cruel sanctions against the Iranian nation, and slammed them as “illegal” and “inhuman”.
However, he added, Iran is resolved to change them into an opportunity to transform its national economy.