WANA (May 03) – The spokesperson for the Iranian government emphasized that while Iran is fully prepared to address all topics, it has no interest in conflict. “We are not at all interested in fueling any regional disputes. That’s precisely why we support dialogue and negotiation. However, regardless of the outcome, we are continuing to manage the country’s affairs. Naturally, we entered the negotiations because we hope to reach a positive outcome. We didn’t come to waste our time.”

 

Fatemeh Mohajerani reiterated: “We are not interested in creating tension in the region. That’s why we support negotiations and dialogue. As for the result, we’re moving forward with running the country regardless. But clearly, we entered these talks with the hope of achieving something. We didn’t do it just to waste time.”

 

In response to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s threats to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities — and the French foreign minister’s warning that Europe would reimpose sanctions and activate the snapback mechanism if the negotiations failed — Mohajerani said: “As the Foreign Minister and his spokesperson have said, they should know that if they make a move, Iran will respond decisively. We are not joking when it comes to such threats, and we will never back down.”

 

She added: “Not only will we not give in, but we are fully prepared on all fronts — though we are not seeking conflict. We are interested in peaceful dialogue. Regardless of what the result may be, we are running the country. But we certainly hope for a successful outcome. We did not enter the talks to waste our time. We definitely want the negotiations to succeed.”

 

Regarding the recent visit by Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister to Iran — a visit that reportedly carried an important message for both Iran’s Supreme Leader and the people — Mohajerani commented: “Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is a serious one. We are two major Muslim nations in the region. This visit showed that Iran’s long-standing strategy toward Saudi Arabia has paid off. It wasn’t just a routine diplomatic trip. The meeting with the Supreme Leader underlined the significance of this visit and indicated Iran’s growing regional role.”

 

Market Fluctuations Amid Negotiations

She also addressed concerns about economic volatility: “One of the biggest issues in the country right now is the negotiations, and since they began, we’ve seen market fluctuations. The question now is, how can we prevent our markets from being tied to the fate of negotiations, as both the Supreme Leader and the President have emphasized? There’s no doubt that several external factors influence production.”

 

When asked about speculation that certain mafia groups in the import-export sector are deliberately keeping the price of the dollar or gold from dropping, she responded: “There’s no doubt that speculation and price manipulation exist in the economy. Psychological factors — such as negotiations and threats — play a role in every country. For example, if a prime minister faces a crisis somewhere, their currency takes a hit. So yes, speculation is real, and the Central Bank is seriously addressing this issue.”

 

She concluded: “There are two separate matters here: one is the existence of economic mafias, and the other is the real price of goods. These are distinct issues.”