Tehran - BORNA - Esmaeil Baghaei, at the beginning of his press conference today (Tuesday), mentioned: "Last week, the Foreign Ministry, in line with economic diplomacy, held the second provincial diplomacy meeting in Mashhad." He added: "Our goal is to facilitate economic interactions with target countries, including neighboring countries."
He continued: "At the regional level, we are still dealing with the issue of Palestine and regional developments. If we previously spoke about the continuation of genocide by the Zionist regime in Palestine, today we are witnessing the repeated violation of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in Gaza."
The Zionist Regime's Goal is to Counter Any Economic Development in Lebanon
Baghaei stated: "In recent days, we have also witnessed terrorist acts by the Zionist regime in Lebanon," noting: "The Zionist regime's objective in these actions in Lebanon is to counter any economic development and reconstruction there. Regarding the issue of Gaza and Lebanon, the guarantors of the ceasefire have an important role and must fulfill their duties in this regard."
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson also said: "Today, the ECO Interior Ministers meeting is being held in Tehran, which is an important meeting."
We Await the Next Court Session for Mahdieh Esfandiari
In response to a question regarding the latest status of the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, the Iranian citizen detained in France, he said: "As you know, Ms. Esfandiari was conditionally released late last week after the court session. In fact, a monitored release order was issued for her, and she is currently residing outside the prison. We are awaiting her next court session."
Baghaei stated: "We welcome the recent court ruling for her monitored release," adding: "As we have stated before, we emphasize that there was no justified reason for her arrest, and we hope the issued verdict leads to her final freedom and return to the country."
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson noted: "The Iranian Embassy in France is still following up on her case," saying: "The follow-ups are aimed at paving the way for her complete freedom as soon as possible."
Interior Minister of Oman and Deputy Interior Minister of Iraq are Special Guests at the ECO Meeting
In response to an question regarding the Omani Interior Minister's visit to Iran and his meeting with Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Baghaei said: "This trip was made in line with the good cooperation between Iran and Oman. During this trip, he held bilateral meetings with our country's officials, including a meeting and consultation with the SNSC Secretary, and he will also meet with the President."
He continued: "The Interior Minister of Oman has participated as a special guest in the ECO Interior Ministers meeting."
Baghaei also said: "A delegation from Afghanistan is also present at the ECO Interior Ministers meeting being held today in Tehran, and the Deputy Interior Minister of Iraq and the Interior Minister of Oman have participated as special guests in this meeting."
Syria's Security is Important for Iran and the Whole Region
In response to another question about the visit of the Russian Special Envoy for Syria to Tehran last week, and whether any change has recently occurred in Iran-Syria relations, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said: "This trip is a continuation of the cooperation and consultations we have had with our partners, including Russia, on the issue of Syria for a long time, and this visit was conducted within the same framework."
Referring to the fluid developments underway in Syria, Baghaei said: "As we have stated many times, Syria is an important country in the region. Syria's security is important for Iran and the whole region, and it is natural for us to consult and confer with our regional partners and other countries involved in the issue of Syria, and this trip was conducted within that framework."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, in response to a question claiming that [Rafael] Grossi alleged that behind-the-scenes negotiations were underway to resume inspections in Iran, said: "I did not hear such a phrase from Mr. Grossi."
The Basis for Our Cooperation and Interaction with the Agency is the Law Ratified by the Parliament
He added: "In general, following the developments that occurred in June, the basis for our cooperation and interaction with the Agency is the law ratified by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament). We remain a member of the NPT Treaty and are committed to the Safeguards Agreement. In implementing these obligations, we advance our interactions with the Agency, taking into account the parliamentary resolution that introduced the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) as the custodian of this matter."
Referring to some aspects of Iran's cooperation with the Agency, Baghaei said: "Some cooperation with the Agency is routine cooperation that aligns with our national interests. For example, issues related to fuel exchange for the Bushehr nuclear power plant or monitoring the performance of the Tehran research reactor, which supplies essential medicines for patients, are among the cases that are naturally carried out in line with the country's interests."
He emphasized: "As previously mentioned, the basis for our cooperation with the Agency in the current circumstances is the Parliament's law, and any request from the Agency must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and necessary actions will be taken based on the decision of the Supreme National Security Council."
Baghaei, continuing his weekly press conference, referred to the recent trip of Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to Kabul and explained the objectives of this trip.
Gharibabadi’s Trip Was to Address Several Standing Issues on the Iran-Afghanistan Agenda
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said about the Deputy Foreign Minister's trip to Kabul: "Mr. Gharibabadi's trip was made to address several standing issues on the agenda of Iran-Afghanistan relations. These issues included border security, water rights (Haq'abe), and judicial and legal cooperation, which were specifically discussed in meetings with relevant Afghan officials."
He added: "Regarding the plan for renovating border markers, which had been halted for some time, it was agreed that the implementation of this understanding would resume. Good discussions were also held about combating unauthorized border crossings, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and transnational organized crimes in general."
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson continued: "In the field of judicial cooperation, negotiations were also held on the transfer of convicted persons, the extradition of criminals, and other related examples of judicial cooperation. We hope the continuation of these consultations will help facilitate exchanges in various fields, especially in areas overseen by the Foreign Ministry's international section."
Documentation of Evidence and Crimes from the 12-Day War Continues
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, in response to a question regarding the Foreign Ministry's international actions to pursue the crimes committed by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, stated: "The first action for any legal work at the international level is the documentation of evidence, reasons, and indications related to the commission of a crime or offense. We have done this regarding the 12-day war, and this process continues."
He added: "The Foreign Ministry's international section has been collecting and documenting evidence and reasons from the very first days—meaning from the day the Zionist regime's aggression began and it started committing crimes—and this has been published in the form of a volume."
Baghaei said: "The Foreign Ministry is one of the institutions working on this issue; the legal section of the Presidency plus the Judiciary also have responsibilities in this regard."
Addressing the inquiring journalist, he said: "You can ask the Judiciary Spokesperson about the follow-ups to this matter in its criminal dimensions inside the country, so that he can explain the actions taken in this regard."
He emphasized: "The follow-up of this issue in the international arena is a continuous process, and at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Uganda, we managed to include one or two specific paragraphs in the final statement of the meeting condemning these attacks, and 120 countries condemned these attacks."
He added: "Our documentation in this regard continues, and simultaneously we are reviewing which institutions are competent to address the violation and crime committed by the U.S. and the Zionist regime."
The Framework of Our International Obligations is Clear
The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in response to another question about the status of Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the perception that this relationship is undecided, emphasized: "The minimum and maximum level of our cooperation is determined by international laws and obligations. We have a treaty called the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and also the Safeguards Agreement, and these two are the basis of our interaction with the Agency, just like any other non-nuclear weapon state."
Referring to UN Security Council resolutions, he added: "Resolution 2231 of the Security Council stipulates that after the end of the 10-year period, Iran will be treated like other non-nuclear states. As long as this resolution was in force, we accepted a set of voluntary commitments aimed at confidence-building and creating transparency beyond safeguards obligations, in exchange for the lifting of unjust sanctions."
Baghaei continued: "The situation is now clear, and the framework of our international obligations is defined. The matter is completely clear. As I mentioned earlier, we will continue the path of cooperation with the Agency based on our obligations within the framework of the NPT Treaty and the Safeguards Agreement, taking into account the resolution of the Islamic Consultative Assembly."
Whenever Negotiation Serves the Interests and Rights of the Iranian Nation, We Will Not Hesitate to Use Diplomacy
In response to a question during his weekly press conference about the possibility of resuming negotiations with the opposing parties, he said: "Whenever we reach the conclusion that the necessary conditions and grounds are available for a negotiation that secures the interests and rights of the Iranian nation, we will not hesitate to use the tool of diplomacy."
Iran's Nuclear Issue Should Not Be Discussed at the Security Council or Multilateral Levels
The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to a question regarding the position of the nuclear issue in the country's foreign policy, said: "We in the Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic apparatus have extensive activities and have not paused waiting for one or more negotiation processes. The Foreign Ministry has thousands of missions, and all of them are being carried out."
Emphasizing that "the nuclear issue is one of the working axes of the Foreign Ministry," he added: "As I mentioned earlier, the entire nuclear issue was, in a way, imposed upon us. This issue should not have been placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council from the beginning."
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson further clarified: "In our view, both in the past and now, the Iranian nuclear issue should not be discussed at the Security Council or at multilateral levels. This matter should be pursued within technical and legal frameworks, not political and security ones."
Our Growing Relations with China Will Continue Strong
In response to a question from a Chinese reporter about the upcoming meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents and the possible impact of this on Tehran-Beijing relations, Baghaei said: "Our relations with China are strong, and we have interactions and exchanges with China at various levels of bilateral and international relations, as well as at the level of international organizations such as BRICS and Shanghai."
He added: "Our growing relations with China will continue strongly, regardless of potential developments or influence attempts by some other countries."
Implementation Process of Iran-Iraq Security Understanding is Acceptable
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, in response to a question about the Iraqi National Security Advisor's visit to Iran and the latest status of the implementation of the Iran-Iraq security memorandum, said: "The process for implementing this understanding is acceptable."
He continued: "This issue requires the care of both sides so that this memorandum is implemented in the best possible way."
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