Iranian military forces are prepared to "immediately" retaliate against any U.S. attack, Tehran's top diplomat warned on Wednesday, as more American military assets arrived in the region and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to launch a new attack on the country.
Meanwhile, Iran and the United States are reportedly set to hold a high-level nuclear meeting in Istanbul this Friday, hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish media announced that the upcoming nuclear negotiations will bring together Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Envoy Steve Witkoff.
CNN Turk reported that the talks will take place at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also in attendance. President Erdogan will preside over the meeting.
To know more about the developments, TABNAK interviewed Professor Hongda Fan, director of the China-Middle East Center at Shaoxing University, China.
Following is the full text of the interview:
Before 12-day US-Israeli war against Iran, some believed that the excess of Iran, Russia, China and North Korea would have a significant role in the new world order, but after the war they changed their ideas due to China and Russia approaches saying that the mentioned idea had not been realistic because China and Russia approaches implied that Iran does not enjoy a significant position for China and Russia in new world order. What do you think of this?
Does this view consider China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as a single bloc? Frankly, I have never thought so. While China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea can cooperate well in some areas, they are also very different. For example, they are not on the same level of the international community. Iran has the potential to become a world power again, but it is not currently one. If Tehran were to design its policies based on the premise that Iran is currently a world power, it would likely encounter many disappointments.
Amid the tensions between Iran and the US, while Iran has been excluded from BRICS drill, another joint naval drill is going to be held in Oman Sea and Indian Ocean by Iran, China and Russia. What is your assessment of this?
On the one hand, this relates to a general principle of international cooperation: better and healthier international cooperation is more likely to emerge between countries with stable international relations and internal politics. On the other hand, today's international organizations increasingly focus on development of cooperation among member states rather than common confrontation or struggle against external forces.
US has dispatched many troops and aircraft carriers to the region and from the other hand Turkey is trying to mediate between Iran and US to decrease the tensions. From your point of view, why the US troops have been dispatched to the region? Will US really attack Iran or it intends to put pressure on Iran to accept US conditions in future talks?
The recent US military deployments in the region are certainly primarily aimed at Iran, but Iran is not the only target. The Trump administration likely believes that the situations in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Gaza also necessitate increased US deterrence in the region. The United States needs Iran to make concessions, including in words and gestures. If the goal can be achieved through negotiations, the US will certainly not resort to force. If negotiations fail, US military action against Iran will be difficult to avoid.
Some strategist believe that if Iran doesn’t accept US conditions in the talk, the US will conduct some limited attacks on Iran to force Tehran to accept its conditions and then little by little if Iran consists on not accepting the conditions the US will intensify the war. What do you think of this?
Yes, if the US gains nothing in the upcoming negotiations, it's almost certain the Trump administration will launch a military attack on Iran. Importantly, if Iran refuses to compromise in the negotiations, it indicates Tehran is prepared for a military response. Once war breaks out, several possibilities exist. The only certainty is that the Iranian people will suffer significant harm, at least temporarily.
China’s cautious position towards the ongoing tensions between Iran and the US implies that China will not side Iran in case of any conflict. What is China’s policy towards the issue?
Faced with the current conflict between the US and Iran, I believe Chinese policymakers are in a difficult position, and I'm sure China isn't the only country in this predicament. China doesn't want a military conflict between the US and Iran, because a stable Iran and the Middle East are in China's best interest. However, the highly complex global and regional contradictions make it difficult for China to take effective measures to resolve the crisis at this stage. The US's hegemonic behavior is certainly a cause of the current crisis. But frankly speaking, Iran should also reflect on its own actions. The international crisis caused by the Iranian nuclear issue has been going on for a long time; Iran has neither achieved a breakthrough in nuclear development nor escaped the international sanctions and pressure it has suffered because of it. This is indeed something Tehran should reflect on.
How does China see Iran’s role and position in its initiations like One Belt-one Road? Does China regard North-South Corridor as a route to contain China’s Belt one-Road project?
Iran is one of China's partners in the Belt and Road Initiative, and China hopes to conduct in-depth cooperation with a politically stable and policy-coherent Iran. Because of the difference in size and effectiveness, China does not view the North-South Corridor as a threat to the Belt and Road Initiative.
Some analysts believe that the China’s too much cautious approach towards Middle East developments may result in total removal of China from the regional equations like removal of China from Gaza peace council by US. Won’t China’s cautious approach toward the Middle East developments affect the country’s interest negatively?
First, it needs to be clarified that China also received an invitation to join the Gaza Peace Council, but like some other countries, China did not accept the invitation. China and the United States have vastly different foreign policies. China prioritizes cooperative development over the display of power, especially military power. If China were to resort to force everywhere like the United States, the world would become even worse. The history of the Middle East over the past two decades has proven that the United States has left the region with more chaos and instability, while China has brought more peace and development. I believe that such a China will not be abandoned by the Middle Eastern countries.
Recently a high ranking miliary official was removed from power in China so that some media talked of a possible coup in the country. Considering the political structure of the power in China, is a US orchestrated coup in China possible?
Undeniably, some problems exist within China, such as corruption. However, the Chinese people clearly understand that China is on a development path suited to its own circumstances. The increasing positive assessments of China by the international community also prove this point. Currently, China's politics are quite stable, and the United States has no chance of successfully staging a coup in China.
Many strategists beleive that China definitely will attack Taiwan in the future. Do you think so?
The vast majority of countries in the world recognize Taiwan as part of China. Without external interference, I am more confident that China will achieve national reunification peacefully.
