‘Hooligans’ in the White House destroying Iran’s infrastructure: Ex-Iran minister

[0:00] Now, Abbas Akhundi is the former Minister for Roads and Urban Development in Iran. [0:06] He's also a professor at Tehran University. [0:07] He joins us from the Iranian capital. [0:09] Welcome to the program. [0:11] Can I start by asking you to reflect upon this looming ultimatum from the US president? [0:17] Ahead of that, we've already started to see key infrastructure [0:21] hit in multiple locations across the country. [0:24] How are you reflecting on this moment? [0:28] Thank you for having me. [0:30] Uh, that's a very, very hard situation for us [0:34] because I'm as a Minister of Infrastructure. [0:38] I know how difficult it is building this infrastructure. [0:43] Particularly, we build all these infrastructures under the US sanctions. [0:49] So every meter that we have built for roads or railroads, [0:55] ports, other infrastructures, [0:58] they have been... [1:00] They've been very hard for us, but our... [1:02] So they are very, very our wealth that they are destroyed by these hooligans [1:09] that are living in the White House in the US. [1:14] Right, hooligans living in the White House, you call them. [1:16] Israel has also issued a warning for people to stay away from trains, railways, railway stations. [1:22] I mean, what are the implications of that warning? [1:25] Is that message being conveyed clearly to the people of Tehran, [1:30] that they're at risk, and indeed elsewhere in the country? [1:32] Yes, that's a very, very, how I can put it, [1:42] because they are destroying all our infrastructures, [1:46] but just as I say that, [1:48] we want people just to go away from the railroads, [1:58] but it doesn't make sense. [2:01] You know that, [2:02] uh, [2:03] uh, [2:03] destroying all the infrastructures and the civil structures are world criminal, [2:08] world crimes, [2:09] so that it's obvious that the US officials are committing that world crime, [2:14] and they are world criminals. [2:16] It is very, very obvious for everything, [2:18] even if you listen to Tom Fletcher as well, [2:22] he has said that this is world crime, [2:24] and also I heard that the president of the EU as well, [2:31] he said as well, [2:31] this is world crime. [2:32] So, [2:34] uh, [2:35] committing some world crime is obvious world crime. [2:39] You are also, [2:40] as we said in your introduction, [2:41] you're also a professor at a university in Tehran. [2:45] What are your thoughts on places of education being recently struck? [2:49] Multiple locations in Tehran have been destroyed, [2:52] key facilities we're talking about. [2:54] Israel argues that those facilities are being used to assist Iran's war efforts, [3:01] and as such, [3:03] they are, [3:03] by extension, [3:04] IRGC targets. [3:06] What do you think of those claims? [3:07] It's obvious that these are just plain excuses. [3:16] When you are targeting all the railroads across the world, [3:20] from Tehran to the northwest, [3:22] and so we are saying that all of this has been used for the [3:29] IRGC, [3:30] or when you are destroying the universities. [3:35] I think it's very, [3:36] very obvious that there is no sense for, [3:39] such a claim. [3:39] The bottom line is that following Iran's eye for an eye doctrine, [3:47] what the GCC is concerned about, [3:49] as if key infrastructure is hit in Iran by the United States and Israel, [3:54] that it will be the GCC states that also have infrastructure devastated. [4:00] If you were in government right now, [4:02] where would you draw the red line when it comes to, [4:06] essentially, [4:08] burning diplomatic bridges? [4:09] Would your closest geographic, [4:10] geographical neighbors? [4:15] This is a very complicated issue, [4:18] that's why that's a very, [4:19] very critical issue. [4:21] Just I would like to say something in this regard, [4:25] because you know that we in the region, [4:29] we, [4:30] as well as the South, [4:32] West and Gulf countries, [4:34] we are in the center of the global value chains, [4:40] and also the global supply chain. [4:42] So, [4:43] we always, [4:44] during these 50 years, [4:46] try just to keep open, [4:49] and just to facilitate using these infrastructures for the global trade, [4:55] for whatever the countries that they wanted just to use these infrastructures. [5:00] So, [5:01] we always [5:04] sit in the positive side of these infrastructures. [5:10] We never use just to, [5:14] put any embargo on the, [5:16] using the, [5:17] hormones threat during these 50 years. [5:20] But when you are facing with such a brutal strike on our infrastructures, [5:30] what do you think we can do? [5:32] This is one thing that, [5:33] you know, [5:34] that this world essentially is unlawful. [5:38] This is obvious for every country that this world, [5:41] from the beginning, [5:42] was unlawful. [5:43] And so, [5:44] when the Trump threatens that he is going just to destroy all the infrastructures. [5:54] Okay. [5:54] This is very, [5:56] very obvious threat of the people, [5:59] and this is also unlawful, [6:01] and this is a world crime. [6:02] So, you know that about this. [6:04] Understood. [6:04] Now, we are facing with, [6:07] we are wasting. [6:10] Sorry, finish your, [6:10] finish your point. [6:11] Just carry on. [6:14] The point that I would like, [6:15] uh, [6:15] to make is that, [6:20] now, [6:20] regarding our southern neighbors, [6:26] what, [6:26] how we can deal with them. [6:29] There is, [6:30] there are two very, [6:31] very crucial points. [6:33] One, [6:34] however, [6:36] the land, [6:37] sea, [6:38] and air of these countries are used by Israel and U.S. [6:45] just to, [6:46] uh, [6:47] attack us. [6:48] Well, there's no evidence of that that we are aware of. [6:50] I have to, [6:51] I have to add that to, [6:52] to your, [6:52] your statement, [6:53] but I hear what, [6:53] I hear what you're saying. [6:54] It is very obvious when, [6:57] no, no, [6:57] I, [6:58] I think it's very obvious when, [7:00] uh, [7:00] you put your, [7:01] uh, [7:01] lands [7:03] for the [7:05] basis for the U.S. [7:07] So, [7:07] uh, [7:08] now, [7:09] how do you think that these, [7:10] uh, [7:11] airplanes come to us, [7:12] to strike us? [7:13] Okay. [7:13] From now, [7:14] from nowhere, [7:15] or from, [7:15] uh, [7:16] from this, [7:17] uh, [7:18] uh, [7:19] basis. [7:19] Okay. [7:20] Thank you. [7:20] For this, [7:21] some other basis. [7:22] Uh, [7:22] uh, [7:23] understand, [7:23] sound, [7:24] under, [7:24] uh, [7:24] understood, [7:25] uh, [7:25] Abbas Akundi. [7:26] Uh, [7:26] just to add, [7:27] um, [7:27] that claim is, [7:28] uh, [7:29] clearly hotly contested by, [7:30] uh, [7:30] GCC nations, [7:31] but I appreciate your perspective. [7:33] Abbas Akundi is a former minister of roads and urban development and a professor at Tehran [7:37] University. [7:38] Thank you again.