During his visit to Uzbekistan to participate in the 22nd summit of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Ayatollah Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi had an interview with Al Jazeera English TV channel, the full text of which is published below: Al Jazeera: Mr President! What does the promotion of the Islamic Republic of Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation mean to you? President: In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. The Islamic Republic of Iran's membership in the Shanghai Organisation provides us with the opportunity to connect with the economic infrastructure of Asian countries better than before. The 13th Administration attaches great importance to regional cooperation. The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great importance to strengthening and deepening relations with its neighbours, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a platform for strengthening the cooperation of its members in the field of regional issues. Increasing Iran's membership level in the Shanghai Organisation as a main member is definitely effective in improving our regional relations and at the same time it can provide the basis for further growth and progress for the entire region by facilitating the exchange of mutual capacities. Al Jazeera: Considering the holding of several rounds of nuclear negotiations in Vienna, in your opinion, how close and possible is the signing of the agreement? President: The subject of our discussion and expectation from the Vienna talks is the lifting of the oppressive sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this agreement, it was the Islamic Republic of Iran that fulfilled its commitment. The International Atomic Energy Agency has announced nearly 15 times that the Islamic Republic of Iran has fulfilled its commitments and that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful. It was the Americans who withdrew from the agreement and it was the European countries that did not fulfil their obligations. In Vienna, we pursued the issue of lifting sanctions and of course emphasised that any agreement should be accompanied by a guarantee. The reason for demanding a guarantee is that the other side violated the agreement in the agreement, and now naturally there should be trust that they will not violate the agreement again; So guarantee is necessary. Also, removal of sanctions should be accompanied with the resolution of safeguards. If political and baseless accusations against Islamic Republic of Iran are to stay, the agreement will have no effect and use. Because it is possible that the parties to the agreement, as they proposed a resolution to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency during the negotiations, may create problems again by abusing the existing influence and connections they have. So, we should finalise these safeguard issues. Regarding the guarantees, if we have the trustworthy guarantees, and we have the lasting removal of the sanctions, not temporary removal of sanctions, and if there is a lasting solution for the safeguard issues, for sure it is possible to reach agreement. Now, it is the Americans who have to decide, because they were the ones who violated the treaty. They withdrew from JCPOA and now they have to decide to stick to their commitment. Al Jazeera: What are the issues preventing the final agreement between Iran and America? President: What is preventing the final agreement is the commitment that the Americans have to give; We announced our position. Our negotiating team is still at the negotiation table and we have stated many times that we will stick to a fair and good agreement, but the Americans must decide. This is actually the problem of Americans who have to decide what they want to do! Although sanctions may cause problems for any country, the Islamic Republic has shown that sanctions have not and will not stop it in any way. We started the process of growth and development of the country and we plan to continue this process and we will not stop the progress of the country in any way, because our nation is a strong-willed and powerful nation and has the ability to turn threats to opportunities. We have done this before in many instances. Today, the nuclear industry in Iran is a domestic industry. First, although our scientists are threatened by the Zionist Regime and several of our dear scientists were assassinated by the agents of the Zionist Regime, these did not stop us from achieving and progressing in the nuclear industry. The nuclear industry is a right for our country in the first place, and in the second place, it has many benefits in the field of industries, agriculture, medicine, oil, gas, petrochemical and electricity production. Those who falsely claim to be concerned about Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, why don't they try to stop the Zionist Regime, which has destructive weapons and knows no limits? It is clear that they are afraid of the power and progress of the Islamic Republic. We are determined to stand for the rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the rights of our people. Al Jazeera: What kind of guarantees are acceptable to you from the Westerners in the nuclear negotiations? President: The guarantees announced by the West should be reassuring for the Islamic Republic. You should give the Islamic Republic the right to ask for a guarantee, because it is not dealing with the country or countries that have fulfilled their agreement, but with the American who violated the agreement and they themselves admit that they violated the agreement. When they themselves admit that they violated the agreement, it is naturally necessary for them to provide guarantees so that we can somehow trust them with an agreement. Al Jazeera: Don't you think that direct and face-to-face negotiations with the American officials can help to finalise this agreement? President: We experienced a round of direct negotiations. There is no benefit in direct negotiation and it has been proven that they are looking for more concessions. We do not see any benefit in direct negotiations with the Americans, and we do not see the benefit of our own nation in such a negotiation. Why don't the Americans fulfil their obligations regarding this agreement? The people of Iran should see if they are honest in their words and actions or if they seek to increase and expand sanctions against the people of Iran in the middle of negotiations! Americans must prove their goodwill to Iran. Al Jazeera: Given the history of more than 40 years of hostile relations between Iran and the United States, what do you think the future of these relations will be like? President: The Islamic Republic of Iran has ideals and words; Iran has announced to the world that we do not oppress, we do not go under oppression, and we do not accept the domination of any domineering power over us. America wants to continue the domination it had before the Islamic Revolution, but the dear nation of Iran will not be under the burden of domination in any way. They want to continue their domination over the Islamic Republic in different ways, and in this way, they exercised enmity. For 8 years, the Americans supported Saddam and the Iraqi Baath party against the Islamic Republic in by propaganda and information support and caused a lot of damage both in Iran and Iraq. They tried to carry out a coup in Iran and supported the Mujahedin Organisation who, in the early years of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, killed more than 17,000 people, including the President, the Chief Justice and the Prime Minister of Iran, with the same methods that we see from ISIL doing today. Americans and Europeans had declared them as terrorist groups and blacklisted them, but today they are supporting them. Our question is why the Westerners are again supporting a group that they themselves declared as terrorists and officially said that their hands are dirty with crime and that they have martyred 17 thousand people. They sought and are trying to stop the Islamic Republic, but the question is, did they succeed? I repeat the words of the American spokesperson who officially announced that the policy of maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran has failed miserably. This is not our word; this is the word of the spokesperson of the Americans and American officials. Why do they follow the failed work twice? Why are they sanctioning again? The hostilities that America does with the Islamic Republic cannot be tolerated. We have not stopped and we will not be. They have many media that spread rumours against the Islamic Republic day and night and want to create despair in the people, but you see how our nation disappoints the Americans and these mercenary American media and the enemies of the Islamic Revolution every year by participating in ceremonies such as processions. If Americans and Westerners want to continue this path of enmity, they should know that as they have not gotten anywhere, they will not get anywhere and they will not succeed. If the government in America wants to reconsider its policy, it must first discard the behaviour of its predecessors. If a government comes and declares that it does not accept the behaviour of the past, its effects should be seen in its actions. The people of Iran should see that these things have changed, but if they see that the same behaviour continues, naturally, give the people of Iran the right to declare that we do not trust them, so we, following the will of the people of Iran, said that we do not trust the Americans. Al Jazeera: What is the current state of bilateral and diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia? Are Tehran and Riyadh ready to talk about regional issues or do they only intend to review bilateral relations for now? President: You asked several questions in the form of one question. The first question was about our relations with Saudi Arabia. We are having negotiations with Saudi Arabia, hosted by our friend and brother Iraq. Five rounds of these negotiations have been conducted and are still ongoing. If outsiders do not interfere, regional issues can be solved in the region itself, so we have always attached importance to regional negotiations and we believe that these negotiations can be useful and effective in the region. We believe that the officials of the countries of the region are able to solve the problems of the region without the interference of outsiders. For example, solving the Yemen issue should be left to the Yemenis. We believe that the Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue can solve the problem. No one should interfere in Yemen because the Yemenis themselves are capable of solving their own problems. For 7 years, the people of Yemen have been oppressed. People who want to decide for themselves have been resisting oppression for 7 years with an empty stomach. The solution to Yemen's problem is to leave the Yemeni nation alone. The Yemeni nation is a rational and understanding nation and they can solve their own problems. Or about Iraq, we have always announced and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khamenei also announced that we think about a strong Iraq. We have always wanted the Iraqi nation and the Iraqi government to be strong. It is the people of Iraq who must decide on a government of their own free will that will govern the country authoritatively, not allow outsiders to interfere in Iraq, and allow Americans to continue their presence in Iraq. We always think of a powerful Iraq that is trusted by its people, and therefore some foreign countries from Europe and other places sometimes contacted us in this regard, to which we told them, let the Iraqis themselves decide. We believe that Iraqis should make their own decisions, but the same is true for Syria. What do Americans want to do in Syria? A nation that has been oppressed so much today, on what principles are the Americans plundering their oil? The Syrian people must use their own resources, what does the presence of the Americans there mean? It is our belief and we emphasised it many times that nations should decide for themselves. This is the whole problem! The issue is that the Americans want to take benefits from the pockets of the nations and from the tables of the nations through domination. We believe that this is a cruel and arrogant view and cannot be sustained in the world. The nations woke up, even though some governments may want to be with the Americans or with the domineering countries, but today the nations cannot accept that a country from the other side of the world called America comes to this side of the world and plunders their resources, why? This is not acceptable. Al Jazeera: Regarding looking to the East, how far do you think the relations between Iran, China and Russia can expand and what pressure will the US apply in this regard? President: There is balance in the foreign policy of this government. We want to have relations with all countries, especially independent countries. We have a 25-year cooperation plan with China and we are looking to implement this plan. We will not allow our relations with China be affected by other international relations. The relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and China have been established since the victory of the revolution and is expanding. It is the same with Russia, that is, there have been relations and are still developing. The 13th Administration's policy is to expand relations with other countries in the region, especially neighbouring countries, and we actually acknowledge a balanced view. In this regard, we can communicate with the neighbouring countries, with the eastern countries and with those western countries that do not want to deal with us with a spirit of hegemony and arrogance. At the beginning of the government's work, I announced that I would warmly shake the hands of all countries, especially the neighbours, and continue this policy. We do not oppress and we will not be oppressed by others; This is the policy of the Islamic Republic. Al Jazeera: Iran is a country with an ancient civilisation, rich history and ancient traditions. In view of this, what is your view on drawing the future horizons of the Islamic Republic and what actions will Iran take in the future? What different measures can it adopt? President: The Islamic Republic of Iran sees the future very clearly. The basis of this view is that we believe that the view of the Islamic Republic arises from the natural desires of humans. The Islamic Republic seeks to implement justice and believes that justice should be implemented both in our own country and that relations with the countries of the world should be fair. We like justice for everyone and believe that relations should be fair. Our opposition to the arrogant spirit of Americans and their performance is in line with this view. We believe that relations should be regulated fairly. Our point of view is that the future is not determined by unhealthy communication, corruption, discrimination and political and arrogant conflicts, but what can be sustainable in the world is right and justice. Today, all the people of the countries want the relations governing their lives to be based on Islamic laws. Can the Zionist Regime's efforts to normalise relations with some Islamic countries create security for this regime? Do these efforts weaken the rights and justice of the Muslim people in the world? If you ask the Muslim nations today about the Zionist Regime and the actions, bloodshed, crimes and oppression that this regime inflicts on the Palestinian people, if you conduct this survey among free people, which free person do you think likes and accepts these behaviours? Didn't we have Camp David, Sharm el-Sheikh and Oslo agreements? Did they succeed in destroying the right and justice of the Palestinians? Isn't Gaza under siege? Didn't the people of Gaza stand against Israel with stones yesterday? Did suppressing the people of Gaza and Palestine stop them from resisting, or turn their stones into missiles? Your question was, how do you see the future? We believe that the future is not determined by oppression and injustice, but the future is determined by the will of people in this world, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims, and that is the implementation of justice. It is possible that domination seekers stand against the administration of justice for a few days using their power, and try to somehow promote lack of information in the media environment contrary to their claim of informing, and follow a kind of non-informing process so that real information does not reach the people, but they know that they cannot destroy the spirit justice and justice-seeking in the world. Today, the Islamic Republic wants fair relations and order in the world, and in one sentence, we see the future very clearly and we believe that victory belongs to the right.