WANA (Jul 07) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, speaking at the BRICS leaders’ working lunch in Brazil, reiterated Iran’s longstanding position that the only just and realistic solution to the Palestinian issue is the holding of a referendum involving all original inhabitants of Palestine — Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

 

Araghchi stated, “This is neither an unrealistic nor unattainable solution. South Africa’s apartheid regime was also dismantled through democracy and a national vote — not by dividing the country into white and Black states.”

 

He emphasized that peace and stability in the Middle East will remain elusive unless the Palestinian issue is resolved justly, the right to self-determination is guaranteed, and crimes committed by the Israeli regime against Palestinians are halted.

 

Criticizing the two-state solution, Araghchi remarked, “It has been proposed for decades and has led nowhere. It’s now clear to everyone that the biggest obstacle to its realization is the Israeli regime itself.”

 

He warned that when people speak of a Palestinian state, they often refer to little more than a symbolic municipality — a state without clear and respected borders, sovereignty, or real authority. “Let’s be realistic. Look at the current situation,” he urged.

 

Araghchi noted that Iran has opposed the two-state model since its inception, recalling that Iran’s representative voted against the 1948 UN partition plan, warning even then that it would merely bury the conflict beneath the ashes.

 

He continued, “Just as South Africa didn’t resolve apartheid by dividing the country but by forming one democratic state for all, the same model should be applied to Palestine. The two-state solution has failed in the past and will not succeed in the future.”

 

The foreign minister concluded that a democratic, unified state where all original inhabitants — Jews, Christians, and Muslims — live together peacefully is the only path toward justice and durable peace. “Without justice, the Palestinian issue cannot be resolved, and without resolving it, other crises in the region will also remain unsolved,” he said.

 

Araghchi also announced that Iran has formally expressed its reservations regarding the inclusion of the two-state solution in the final BRICS Summit communiqué, submitting an official note of objection.