International Community Faces a Historic and Civilizational Choice
TEHRAN (Defapress) - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, speaking at the conference "A Call for a Global Shift," emphasized that the world needs a fundamental change of course more than ever before.
Araghchi, referring to the normalization of war, intervention, sanctions, and the use of force as ordinary policy tools, said: "Decades of foreign intervention and endless wars in the Middle East have proven that military intervention does not create security, and pressure and coercion do not lead to peace."
He described the tragedy in Gaza and the ongoing crimes of the Israeli regime as the clearest manifestation of this failed pattern, adding: "The killing of civilians, forced displacement, and collective punishment in Gaza, when left without accountability, spread to Lebanon as well."
Referring to the military aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, the Foreign Minister described it as an "illegal, unjust, and aggressive" war, saying: "This war is part of a broader pattern of unpunished aggressions, including targeted assassinations of Iranian officials and violations of the sovereignty of nations."
Araghchi, criticizing double standards regarding international law and human rights, warned: "If international law is disregarded only when the interests of great powers demand it, one can no longer speak of the rule of law."
He identified the solution not as abandoning multilateralism, but as moving toward "real, effective, and just multilateralism," calling for a shift from militarism to sustainable development, from interventionism to respect for national sovereignty, and from endless wars to lasting peace.
Emphasizing that sustainable security in West Asia must belong to the region itself, the Foreign Minister said: "Regional security must be achieved through dialogue, confidence-building, and cooperation among regional countries, not through the military presence of external powers."
In conclusion, Araghchi placed the international community before a historic choice, stating: "We can continue the path of militarism and endless wars, or we can have the will and courage to change course. The time for this fundamental shift is now."
