Full Text of the Interview made by ‘Blick’ with H.E. Ambassador Barimani dated 11 June 2026

Since the online version of the above-mentioned interview published on 13 June 2026 on Blick’s website differs partly, or entirely at some points, from the actual text whose audio recording is available, and in spite of requests made in accordance with Article 28 of the Swiss Civil Code (ZGB) as well as Swiss Press Council’s Directives relating to the «Declaration of the Duties and Rights of the Journalist», including Directives 4.5 and 4.6 among others, Blick did not make any attempt to use the actual version. The Embassy hereby releases the proof-read, full text as follows:

Question: News agencies reported on Friday that Iran and the U.S. have reached an agreement on a framework deal. How seriously do you take this this time?
Answer: I can say that we are on the verge of concluding the framework agreement.

Question: Is peace within reach?
Answer: We very much hope so.

Question: The problem is that Trump has already announced an agreement 40 times, and yet nothing has come of it. What do you think of Donald Trump?
Answer: The problem with President Trump is that his demeanor and behavior are not trustworthy. We were in the middle of negotiations both last June and this past February when the U.S., together with the Israeli regime, attacked Iran. Last Saturday as well, when the Pakistani interior minister was in Tehran to convey the U.S. proposal to Iranian officials, the Israeli regime violated the ceasefire for the third time. The goal was to undermine the negotiations.

Question: There is a bounty of 50 million euros on Trump and Netanyahu. What would happen to them if they were captured and brought to Iran?
Answer: This proposal for a bounty comes from the Iranian people, not from the government. From the perspective of international law, there are sufficient grounds to bring both of them before an international court for the crimes they have committed. After all, there is already an arrest warrant against Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Question: Iran is putting up surprisingly fierce resistance against the U.S. and Israel. How many missiles do you have left?
Answer: Iran has not instigated a war against any country in the last 250 years. But if a war is waged against us, we will defend ourselves with all our might, as is currently the case. As for the number of missiles, I cannot give a figure. But we are capable of defending ourselves for as long as the war lasts.

Question posed during the interview: There are groups like Hamas and Hezbollah that attack Israel with Iran’s help.
Question published in newspaper: Never instigated a war? There are groups like Hamas and Hezbollah that attack Israel with Iran’s help.
Answer: Hezbollah and Hamas are defending their territory. And unlike the West, which aids the oppressor and occupier, we support the oppressed who are defending their own territory.

Question posed during the interview: In Iran’s view, does Israel have any legitimacy?
Question published in newspaper: It is the goal of the Iranian regime to wipe out “cancerous” Israel. Why?
Answer: It is an illegitimate regime that has occupied the land of Palestine. Unfortunately, Western countries have turned a blind eye to what the Israeli regime is doing. There should be a referendum in which the indigenous Palestinians—including Muslims, Jews, and Christians—can decide what happens to the territory.

Question: One of the war aims of the U.S. and Israel is to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. How close is Tehran currently to developing a nuclear bomb?
Answer: Netanyahu claimed before the UN as early as 1996 that Iran was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have determined, through comprehensive inspections, that Iran’s nuclear program serves peaceful purposes. We use the nuclear program exclusively for energy production, in agriculture, for the production of isotopes for medicines, and for similar purposes.

Question: A nuclear power plant requires uranium enriched up to 5 percent, while medical applications require up to 20 percent. Why, then, does Iran possess uranium enriched up to 60 percent—which is nearly enough for a nuclear bomb?
Answer: As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Under the treaty, there is no limit on uranium enrichment. Furthermore, the fatwa—our religious decree issued by our late leader—prohibits us from using nuclear bombs.

Question: How much of the nuclear program was destroyed by the attacks?
Answer: Mr. Trump clearly stated that it had been destroyed…

Question: Initially, the U.S. also wanted to topple the Iranian government. Last year, that government executed at least 2,159 people. Why does Iran still resort to this abhorrent punishment?
Answer: According to the United Nations, more than 50 countries have the death penalty in their legal systems, including the U.S. and China. We are neighbors to a country that produces more than 80 percent of the world’s opiates. Most of those convicted are drug traffickers who seek to smuggle drugs through our country to the West. We sacrifice our police forces to prevent drugs from reaching Europe and to serve humanity. However, we do our best to apply alternative punishments.

Question: Why don’t you give women in your country more freedom?
Women enjoy their rights. They are also strongly represented in public life. For example, women hold four positions in the cabinet, and 56 percent of students at public universities are women.

The rest of the answer deleted in the published version of the newspaper: 9 members of parliament are women. And in general, women occupy 30% of all government positions at different levels, over 1000 women serve as judges, they make up 50% of health care personnel at all levels, 56% of state university students are women and their share in private sector is estimated over 50%.

Question: Why didn’t you shake hands with the *Blick* photographer when you greeted her?
Answer: That is a religious requirement. But we respect women with all our hearts.

Question: For decades, Switzerland has served as a mediator between Iran and the United States. What role does it still play today?
Answer: In addition to its mandate—which has been in place for more than four decades—to protect U.S. interests in Iran, Switzerland has played an important role. Most recently, in February, it organized negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States. We are very grateful for that.

Question: Has it fulfilled its mission, or should it remain a mediator?
Answer: Why not? It has always demonstrated trust and shown good will. However, both sides must agree on the choice of a mediator.

Question: The World Cup began on Thursday in the U.S. Are you watching?
Answer: Of course—I’m a soccer fanatic.

Question: There’s a chance Iran might have to play against the U.S. What would happen then?
Answer: First of all, we’d have to make it that far… But soccer must not be misused for political purposes. The World Cup aims to bring people closer together. What the U.S. is doing is the opposite.

Question: What does your dream final look like?
Answer: Of course, I’d love to see Iran emerge as the winner. But I hope Switzerland goes far as well.

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Important parts of the interview, deleted upon publication read as follows:

Question: Ambassador Barimani, the war has now been going on for over 100 days. What is needed to bring about peace and for the guns to fall silent?
Answer: First, I should say that on February 28, the U.S. and Israeli regime in violation of Article 2 (4) of UN Charter carried out an act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran is defending its territorial integrity and national sovereignty in accordance with Article 51 of UN Charter.
With regard to the 2nd part of your question, I would like to say that our conditions are as follows: an end to hostilities, the lifting of the US blockade, the release of Iranian frozen assets and waiver for the sale of oil.

Question: The US attack on Wednesday was in retaliation for Iran shooting down an American helicopter…
Answer: That wasn’t us (WHO WAS IT YOU THINK?). It has been done under false flag operation. Blaming Iran was a pretext to attack it again.

Question: Trump, for his part, is demanding the lifting of the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Why don’t you agree to that, and everything would be over?
Answer: We haven’t blocked the Strait. It is the natural consequence of war imposed upon Iran by the U.S. and Israeli Regime. The Strait is not closed to vessels except for those of the adversaries. We are managing the Strait within the framework of regulatory provisions and with the aim of ensuring navigation safety, traffic management and maritime environment protection. And the vessels can cross through the designated routes under the supervision of Iran as the coastal state. And with the U.S. attack on Wednesday, the Strait got closed.

Question: It was a resolution of the United Nations to establish the State of Israel…
Answer: But ever since 1948, its policies of expansionism and occupation has continued further and further, contrary to various UN resolutions.

Question: What solution do you see for the Middle East?
Answer: We have proposed a democratic solution which has been registered at UN and that is: there should be a referendum/election through which the original Palestinians, including Muslims, Jews and Christians, take part and cast their votes, and what comes out of the ballot box would determine their future.

Question: Are there not other alternatives to capital punishment?
Answer: We do our best to apply alternative punishments. However, it’s application depends on the decision of the victim’s family as to whether a perpetrator is forgiven and gets off with paying blood money as punishment. If no such agreement is reached at, the capital punishment may be applied.

Question: Can people criticize the Government?
Answer: Everyone has the right to criticize the government peacefully. There were demonstrations in January, but these got out of hand following Mr. Trump’s remarks who had said he would intervene if the death toll rises. Three years ago, teachers protested peacefully for months for higher wages. Their demonstration was held peacefully without any negative incident, and they were also successful in achieving their demand.

Question: According to human rights organisations, women who do not cover themselves are also persecuted by the morality police and severely punished. Why are women not granted freedom?
Answer: In accordance with our laws, women should wear hijab; however, nowadays you would see that there are women who don’t necessarily observe hijab. Yet, they are running their daily lives side by side with their fellow country women who observe it. This is demonstrating itself specially during the current nightly gatherings where Iranians, men and women alike, are rendering their support to the government and armed forces in defending their country.