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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei held a press conference in which he said Iran had held no direct negotiations with the United States since the last round of talks in February, noting that messages indicating Washington’s desire to negotiate had been received via intermediaries, including Pakistan, adding that US claims about diplomacy should be measured against its actions.
Baghaei described the reported 15-point peace plan ‘excessive, unrealistic and illogical,’ reiterating Iran’s position remains clear.
Separately, Baghaei condemned Israeli attacks on journalists and media outlets, including strikes on Al-Arabi’s office in Tehran, as well as Al-Mayadeen and Al-Manar correspondents in Lebanon: “The Zionist regime pays no attention to any accepted international rules and targets journalists,” describing the attacks as a pattern of ‘genocide.’
Baghaei confirmed that the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon will remain in Beirut: “The Iranian ambassador, considering the discussions raised by the relevant Lebanese parties and the conclusion reached, will continue his work as ambassador in Beirut and remains present there.
Iran’s Embassy in Lebanon remains open and its ambassador continues his work in Beirut, stated Baghaei, despite Lebanon’s earlier decision to expel him following Iranian attacks on the country: “We followed up: I can confirm that our embassy in Lebanon is open – our ambassador continues his work and remains there.”
Diplomatic apparatus is moving forward in step, in sync and in coordination with the armed forces as all focus must be on defending Iran, Baghaei said: “Decisions on war and peace are clear under the constitution – whenever necessary, decisions on matters related to this war will be made according to the constitution and the judgement of the country’s authorities,” adding that the escalation of Israeli and American attacks, including strikes on infrastructure and scientific institutions, means its logical for all attention to be centred on defending the nation.
Baghaei stated that diplomatic relations with Saudia Arabia were active, with Iran’s ambassador in place, as Iran clearly expressed concerns and expects regional countries to prevent the US and Israel from using their territory to attack Iran: “It is by no means desirable for the Islamic Republic of Iran to be forced to carryout its defensive operations on the soil of regional countries,” he said.
Regional countries are ‘surely smarter’ than to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ‘fleece them,’ Baghaei stated, adding that linking the Ukraine conflict with the Us-Israeli aggression against Iran is a ‘catastrophic miscalculation,’ noting Iran was confident that regional countries will not fall into such a trap.
Baghaei doesn’t consider regional countries as enemies, but declaring neutrality in the war is not sufficient: “Defensive operations by Iran target military bases and facilities that serve as launchpads for attacks against us,” he said, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter as the basis for self defence, while noting that the US continuously uses bases in other countries to attack Iran, and that images showing damage to US aircraft in neighbouring countries demonstrated this.
Bushehr power plant remains operational despite attacks in its vicinity, stated Baghaei, noting that the strikes demonstrated that the US and Israel ‘absolutely respect no rules, laws or ethics’ in their aggressive war against Iran, adding that technical details should be directed to the Atomic Energy Organisation, but confirmed the plant continues to function.
Baghaei said the country is not the cause of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that it is unacceptable for other nations to complain about fuel and food prices while Iran is under bombardment: “We are not happy that people in other countries are suffering because of fuel or food prices, but it is not acceptable for other countries to speak to us about concerns over fuel and food prices while Iran is under the enemy’s missiles.”
Iran was the guardian of the strait for decades and the current disruption is as a result of the aggression: “No coastal country, under a war of aggression, can allow enemy vessels to transit freely – the measures taken are to ensure safe passage for vessels that are not hostile.”
Baghaei said that Iran didn’t participate in the framework of meetings established by Pakistan with neighbouring countries, adding that while such peace efforts are welcome, it should be remembered that Iran entered negotiations as a ‘rational and responsible actor’ and that the US twice attacked at the negotiating table: “The war was not started by Iran – for the second time, we were attacked in the middle of negotiations – whoever addresses the war against Iran should pay attention to which side started it.”
Iran’s withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is under review in the Iranian parliament, Baghaei said: “The logical question is: what is the benefit of membership in a document when bullying powers on the international stage do not allow us to benefit from its rights,” he said, stressing that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and that its position on banning weapons of mass destruction is clear, while attributing the debate to the ‘irresponsible approach’ of the IAEA and the destructive behaviour of the US and certain other countries, which he said have pressured Iran, denied its rights and failed to condemn its strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Baghaei criticised IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi for his ‘very incorrect approach’ to US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying the strikes were illegal and a crime: “Neutrality of the agency has been called into question by Grossi’s statements – instead of condemning the aggressors, he uses phrases that complicate the situation,” Baghaei stated, noting that the IAEA’s behaviour over the past two years had left it with an ‘undefendable record,’ and the agency’s first action should be to condemn such attacks and demand accountability from the aggressors.
Human rights is the biggest victim of the war, Baghaei warned, citing attacks on hospitals, Red Crescent centres, residential areas, UNESCO-listed heritage sites and power grids: “In the past 80 years, you cannot find such atrocities that, within a month, contain all the criteria for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide,” he said, adding that universities, parts of Iran’s shared human heritage inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and power grids had been struck – including attacks on electricity posts and substations in Tehran and Karaj that caused blackouts.
