Kharrazi: “An Existential Threat Shifts Our Nuclear Doctrine, and We Are Technically Prepared to Produce a Nuclear Weapon” /  Berri: “Negotiations Are Postponed Until After the U.S. Elections… We Haven’t Heard From Hochstein”

 November 02, 2024

The political editor wrote

Amid the ongoing brutal massacres in Gaza and continued resistance operations against the occupation forces – who have acknowledged the death of 12 soldiers in Gaza during October – Hamas announced its rejection of a mediators’ proposal. The offer, centred on a temporary truce and the exchange of a limited number of prisoners, failed to address the core demand shared by Hamas, the resistance forces, and the Palestinian people: an end to the war.

Observers tracking the Doha-based negotiations on Gaza noted that the proposal’s failure, put forward by CIA Director William Burns, leaned heavily towards Israeli priorities while also seeking to create a success story for President Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, as the U.S. election approaches a razor-thin edge, with polls shifting by small margins that could sway the outcome. A specific achievement, particularly regarding Gaza, could improve the administration’s standing and enhance Harris’s prospects.

In the region, Iran continues its preparations to respond to the occupation forces’ aggression on Iranian territory and military installations. General Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guard, described the response as powerful and impactful, urging the occupying entity’s leaders to brace for a retaliation beyond their expectations. Meanwhile, Kamal Kharrazi, head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Policy, clarified that Israel’s retaliation of 200 missiles against Iran’s initial missile strike was “fundamentally disproportionate”. He disclosed that “adjusting our nuclear doctrine remains on the table if Iran faces an existential threat,” adding, “We now possess the technical capability to produce nuclear weapons; only Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s fatwa prevents this”. He emphasised Iran’s missile capabilities, which have become widely recognized and demonstrated in recent operations, and pointed out that “the discussion currently revolves around missile ranges, which continue to be a source of concern for Western countries”. Kharrazi added, “When these nations ignore our concerns regarding Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, there is no reason for us to heed their anxieties,” and announced the potential for Iran’s missile range to be extended.

In Lebanon, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “rejected the Lebanese roadmap agreed upon with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein”, commenting that political efforts to resolve the crisis “have been deferred until after the U.S. elections”. Berri refrained from making predictions about the crisis in light of the American election results, stressing that the only certainty is that political efforts “have been postponed until after this election”, leaving Lebanon’s fate “subject to battlefield developments”. He expressed concern that Lebanon might be “turned into a second Gaza”. Berri confirmed that Hochstein “has not communicated with us since leaving Israel,” noting that he had promised during his previous visit to return to Tel Aviv if he saw positive developments, but “has provided no updates since his departure”, while reaffirming Lebanon’s firm stance on key points, particularly its adherence to UN Resolution 1701.