Iran says it has right to self-defence if US launches attack

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that his country would respond to any US attack, but held out hope for a diplomatic solution, saying he expected another round of talks in Geneva later in the week. Speaking in an interview on the US network CBS, the minister said there was a “good chance” that talks with US negotiators would head off renewed military strikes. He insisted, however, that Iran had a right to continued uranium enrichment for civilian purposes – and to strike US interests in the Middle East in response to any aggression. “If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves. If the US attacks us, that is the act of aggression. What we do in response is an act of self-defence,” Araghchi said. “It is justified, legitimate. So our missiles cannot hit the American soil. So obviously we have to do something else. We have to hit, you know, the American base in the region.” Read More: US envoy Steve Witkoff says Trump questioning why Iran has not ‘capitulated’ Last year, in response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities, Iran fired missiles at the US airbase at Al-Udeid in Qatar. Iranian officials sometimes also refer to Israel as a US base. Araghchi, nevertheless, also said: “I believe that still there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution which is based on a win-win game.” After a recent round of talks in Geneva, Iran said it was preparing a draft proposal for an agreement, which would be ready in a matter of days. Araghchi said negotiations were continuing, and “we are working on the elements of a deal and draft of the text”. “I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal,” he told CBS. But, as for Iran’s uranium enrichment, which the US opposes, Araghchi said: “As a sovereign country, we have every right to decide for ourselves, by ourselves.” Iran agreed secret shoulder-fired missile deal with Russia, FT reports Meanwhile, Iran agreed a secret 500 million euro ($589 million) arms deal with Russia to acquire thousands of advanced shoulder-fired missiles, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The agreement, signed in Moscow in December, commits Russia to deliver 500 man-portable "Verba" launch units and 2,500 "9M336" missiles over three years, it said, citing leaked Russian documents seen by the Financial Times and several people familiar with the deal. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Under the deal the deliveries are scheduled in three tranches, running from 2027 through 2029, the Financial Times said. The deal was negotiated between Russian state arms exporter Rosoboron export and the Moscow representative of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, the Financial Times said. Also Read: Iran prepares counterproposal as Trump weighs strikes Tehran formally requested the systems last July, according to a contract seen by the Financial Times. In June last year, US forces struck Iran's three main nuclear sites as the country joined Israel's military campaign against Iran. President Donald Trump said Iran's key nuclear facilities were destroyed in the attack. However, according to a preliminary US intelligence assessment at the time, the US airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months. Iranian officials have repeatedly said Tehran had recovered from the damage incurred during the war and that its capabilities are better than ever. Russia has a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, although it does not include a mutual defence clause. Earlier in February, a Russian naval corvette conducted manoeuvres with the Iranian navy in the Gulf of Oman this week, according to Russia's Defence Ministry.