Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said that Iran does not welcome any confrontation over its nuclear program, MNA reported.
Salehi made the remarks during an interview with the Persian service of ISNA published on Monday, a day before expert meetings between Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) over the country's nuclear program.
"I have always emphasized that Iran's nuclear issue will end in favor of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Iranian foreign minister said.
He added, "I believe in the grace of God, and, according to the information I have, there is no option except diplomatic and political resolution of Iran's nuclear issue. The issue has had its ups and downs, but, all in all, I believe that we are on the path toward its resolution and that the other side has no option but to come to an understanding with Iran. Otherwise, the other option would be confrontation rather than interaction, and I do not think that any sane person would be seeking confrontation given regional developments and incidents that have occurred."
Commenting on the threats issued against Iran, Salehi stated that Iran wants the dispute over its nuclear program to be resolved based on a "win-win" principle, adding, "We have repeatedly emphasized that we are seeking interaction and do not welcome confrontation, but if they want to act unwisely, they must be aware that the Islamic Republic of Iran will gloriously defend its integrity as it did during the imposed (1980-1988 Iran-Iraq) war. However, I believe that we will not get to that point."
"The Iranian nation has always proved that it has defended its integrity throughout history," he added.
Salehi also said, "I believe that we will weather this crisis. But if we want to accelerate this process, we have to take certain measures, such as promoting national coherence and avoiding disputes."