Iranian Foreign Minister Sarif: "Nobody, not even the US Vice President, is allowed to make a mood with the Holocaust"

SPIEGEL: US Vice-President Mike Pence has accused her at a conference in Warsaw to prepare a new Holocaust. Will you shake hands in Munich?

Sarif: I do not think so. Mike Pence is certainly not keen on it either.

SPIEGEL: What do you say to the accusation?

Sarif: The statements of the US Vice President are ridiculous. Iran has always supported the Jews, we are only against Zionists. The Holocaust was a disaster. But nobody, not even the US Vice President, is allowed to make a mood with the Holocaust.

SPIEGEL: Iran has just celebrated the anniversary of the revolution with a major military parade and announced that it is expanding its missile program. That seems threatening.

Sarif: We are forced to defend ourselves. Our region is flooded with weapons, even by the Europeans, in 2018 alone, the Gulf States have spent $ 100 billion on arms purchases. We spend a fraction of it. And our weapons are purely defensive.

SPIEGEL: Europeans are worried about Iran's missile program. How should one trust Iran if it presents itself so martially?

Sarif: Should we be defenseless in such a highly equipped region? If Europe complains that we are building missiles, it should sell us fighter jets. We have witnessed an eight-year war against Iraq, in which we had nothing to defend ourselves.

SPIEGEL: Iran supplies its allies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, with missiles that are not only used defensively.

Sarif: Hezbollah defends itself against Israeli attacks. Israel wants a free hand to bomb targets in Syria, violating Lebanese airspace. Basically, there are very different standards in the topic. Israel, for example, boasts that it has flown more than 300 attacks against Syria. And nobody cares.

SPIEGEL: The Israelis say they are only attacking weapons and arms transports that bring Iran to Syria or to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Sarif: Nevertheless, the attacks violate international law, which is a clear violation of the territorial integrity of Syria.

SPIEGEL: US President Trump has announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. How do you see this step?

Sarif: The withdrawal from Syria can not come soon enough. Whenever the US gets involved in our region, chaos, extremism and terrorism have emerged. In Afghanistan, Americans are now negotiating with the Taliban for control over them after the withdrawal. They came 18 years ago to destroy exactly these Taliban.

SPIEGEL: The US says the terrorist militia "Islamic State" in Syria has been beaten. Does that mean that you will soon withdraw your troops and militias?

Sarif: We have always said very clearly that in Syria we have only one purpose: to fight Islamists and terrorists. Iran will remain so for as long as the Syrian government wants it. Just look at the Idlib region, still controlled by al-Nusra terrorist group.

SPIEGEL: Do you have a strategy on how to proceed in Syria?

Sarif: From our point of view, all Syrian refugees have to come back to their homeland. In addition, a solution must be found for the Kurds, so that they can live in dignity and security, we need a vote between Syria and Turkey. Russia and we are ready to support this process.

SPIEGEL: What will become of the ruler Bashar al-Assad?

Sarif: We should all end our obsession with President Assad, because it has sharply intensified this conflict. Iran is not holding on to anyone. Instead, the Syrians should decide for themselves who should lead them. If they are convinced that President Assad has repressed them for years, they will not vote for him.

SPIEGEL: Why did Iran stand by Assad so long, even though he terrorized his own people and trampled on human rights?

Sarif: The West should cease to be constantly reproached for human rights. Europe was silent when the Saudis bombed Yemen. Europe watched as they kidnapped the prime minister of Lebanon and forced him to resign with the pistol on his head. It was not until the Saudis murdered a journalist that the world suddenly woke up. The case of Jamal Khashoggi has totally discredited the West as a human rights lawyer.

SPIEGEL: Why?

Sarif: It's not about human rights, it's about who your friend is. If a country is friends with the US then everything is allowed. The US gives Israel and Saudi Arabia the impression that they can do anything with impunity.

SPIEGEL: The US, but also Germany, accuse you of operating aggressive espionage. Recently, an Iranian diplomat was arrested in Germany for helping to prepare for an attack. How should you trust Iran?

Sarif: On the case of the diplomat who was arrested in violation of the law, all I can say is that the allegations seem to have been brought down.

SPIEGEL: What do you mean?

Sarif: We are accused of Iran planning a terrorist attack in Europe on the very day our president wanted to visit Vienna. That is absurd. Have you never wondered who these allegations are? Our impression is that the Europeans have been deceived by the usual suspects who, like Mike Pence or Foreign Minister Pompeo, are constantly beating Iran.

SPIEGEL: You really believe in a plot?

Sarif: We do not have to argue that all nations have secret services and gather information abroad. In Iran, all international services are very active. But I can assure you that there are no plans for an attack in Europe that would have been ordered by the Iranian government.