Iran draws up plan for resolution of Karabakh conflict

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeid Khatibzadeh said Tehran’s proposal is based on "respecting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and withdrawal of military forces from the occupied cities".   "The Islamic Republic of Iran has prepared a plan that will be pursued in consultation with the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the governments of the region and its neighbors, and we hope to be able to end this war as soon as possible within the framework of this plan, which is being finalized," he said.  Hundreds of people have been killed in the latest outbreak of war over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountain enclave that belongs to Azerbaijan under international law but is governed by a separatist Armenian-backed leadership.  Khatibzadeh said Iran is closely and carefully monitoring the conflict and is in constant contact with all the concerned parties. "From day one, Iran declared to all parties that there was no military way to resolve this decades-long conflict. While respecting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the withdrawal of troops from the occupied cities, we emphasize the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities to begin political and timely talks between the two sides and the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to make every effort," he said.  Tehran, he said, would pursue its proposal in consultation with both Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as regional governments and its own neighbors.  Khatibzadeh also warned that the Islamic Republic would not tolerate the conflict on its borders and the invasion of its territory, after several rockets landed in areas populated by Iranian Azerbaijanis. "These issues are among Iran's red lines so that Iran's borders would not even be unknowingly and unintentionally attacked." Nagorno-Karabakh has been run by Armenian separatists since the early 1990s, when they seized it in a move supported by Yerevan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Saudi warned against nuclear secrecy Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatibzadeh addressed reports about secret nuclear activities by Saudi Arabia, saying “We’re carefully monitoring the regional developments.” "We warn Riyadh to pay attention and adhere to its international obligations and allow international and legal guidance on Saudi Arabia's sometimes covert and overt activities to be carefully pursued." Israel, UAE, Bahrain better worry about own security The spokesman also addressed remarks by Israeli minister for military affairs Benny Gantz, who had told a virtual press conference with Saudi, Emirati, and Bahraini reports that the occupying regime would “establish a united front against” Iran after its normalization agreements with Abu Dhabi and Manama. Khatibzadeh warned that those who chose to place their trust in this “shaky house” would only bring disrepute on themselves. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain officially signed US-brokered deals that normalized their relations with Israel, during a White House ceremony in mid-September. EU and Iran arms embargo Khatibzadeh then addressed earlier comments by Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who said the European Union’s arms embargo against Iran would remain in force until 2023. Iran will see a ban on sales of conventional weapons to Tehran lifted later this month in line with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.  The spokesman said “no one can prevent Iran from availing itself of its right" to buy arms following the expiration of the embargo. He said “it is up to Europe what decision it will choose to adopt about prolonging the arms restrictions,” but the continent, including Germany, knows that it is not entitled to interfere with the embargo relief in line with UN Security Council 2231 that has endorsed the JCPOA.