‘Regime change is a futile exercise’

Lyse Doucet speaks to Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and its government. The interview took place in the country’s capital Tehran after Iran’s twelve-day war with Israel.

Both sides fired missiles into each other’s territories, with hundreds killed as military sites were destroyed and civilian infrastructure badly damaged.

Israel first attacked Iran on the 13th of June, claiming Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. The conflict ended when the United States bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

It’s worth remembering, before any of the aggression started, talks about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme were ongoing with the US. But they were overshadowed by a report from International Atomic Energy Agency declaring Iran was in breach of its nuclear obligations and questioned why Iran was enriching uranium to such high levels.

For now, there’s a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

In this interview you’ll hear Majid Takht-Ravanchi talk about whether he thinks it will hold and what it will take for diplomacy with the United States to resume in good faith.

Thank you to Lyse Doucet and Charlotte Scarr for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Lyse Doucet Producers: Charlotte Scarr and Ben Cooper Sound: Dave O’Neill Editor: Nick Holland

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Majid Takht-Ravanchi. Credit: Safin Hamid/AFP via Getty Images)

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister: regime change is a futile exercise

The Interview

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister: regime change is a futile exercise