Baghaei: We Are Witnessing a Confrontation Between Good and Evil
Tehran - BORNA - Esmaeil Baghaei, in his first weekly press conference with domestic and foreign journalists based in Tehran—held at an elementary school on Iran Street that was damaged on the first day of the attacks by the United States and the Zionist regime—said: “We are all mourning and grieving, and we have a lump in our throats, but we hold it back. At this stage, what is important is defending the motherland, which has been unjustly and without any reason subjected to aggression by the most evil individuals. We are witnessing a confrontation between good and evil.
“What is happening today is the result of the inaction of the international community, which saw genocide, crime, and aggression against neighboring countries and did not cry out. We said many times that if they did not act, this fire and lawlessness would engulf everyone.”
Baghaei said that all those who, out of indifference and comfort-seeking, think they can preserve themselves in this turmoil are paying tribute to the evildoers. Indifference turns the indifferent into accomplices to crime.
Referring to the attack on Saturday, 9 Esfand, by the Zionist regime and the United States—while less than 24 hours had passed since the last round of negotiations—he stated: “They consciously chose the first blows and martyred the Leader of our country at his workplace along with his family, and at the same time targeted our children in Minab with two missiles. Why two missiles? 171 beautiful angels of Iran. What was their crime? The most shameful justification for this crime is to say these are the effects of war, and this is disgraceful. On the other hand, in Lamerd in Fars Province, 20 female athletes, and they were minors, were targeted. Why girls? This is my question.”
Stating that the world is witnessing that Iran is standing—not for Iran but for humanity—he said: “With one word, ‘dictatorial regime,’ they defamed Iran; a dictatorship that lived in a house weaker than the homes of the lowest classes of people, a dictatorship that did not flee, did not pack his suitcases, stood firm and knew he was going to be attacked, and through his death and martyrdom delivered a message to us, and this was the best command for the endurance of Iran.”
The Foreign Ministry spokesman continued: “History will say that Ali Khamenei was the most patriotic Iranian commander in contemporary Iranian history. All those who are witnessing this situation today—even those who were enemies of Khamenei—will soon understand who Khamenei was; the region and the world will feel his absence. Iran is now the only remaining force confronting the expansion of wickedness, and this is not a slogan. Iran is the only barrier against the domination-seeking of the most evil individuals.”
Baghaei, stating that a genocidal individual is confronting Iran, said: “What is happening in Iran is not merely a crime against humanity but a form of genocide; targeting Iranian girls and elites and attacking every individual who constitutes the foundation of a country is nothing but an attempt at genocide. But their dream will not come true. Iranians have stood firm because they left us no choice but to stand and resist.”
The spokesman for the diplomatic apparatus continued: “Since I assumed this position, I made a covenant with myself and my conscience to tell the people nothing but the truth, and now I tell you and the people of Iran: what is being said about the course of negotiations is nothing but lies. That something was told to us at the last moments and we did not accept it is a lie. Let us not allow, alongside the unequal war against the country, lies to be injected into the heart of history.”
Referring to recent remarks by Marco Rubio that “we decided to enter on behalf of Israel,” and the U.S. president’s claim that Iran was an imminent threat—while the Pentagon report says Iran posed no threat to America—he asked: “Is the problem Iran, which is hidden among hundreds of military barracks in the region, or did we send missiles to the White House?”
Baghaei further referred to remarks by Steve Witkoff quoting Trump as saying they are surprised why Iran does not surrender, and stated: “Which war did we start? Is it not the case that we only entered war in defense of ourselves? I ask all Iranians—whether those who may not like me or the Islamic Republic or who have complaints and protests, or supporters of the system—to remain around the flag of Iran. The enemies who have opened their mouths to swallow Iran will show mercy to none of the Iranian people.”
Stating that the martyrdom of the Leader was a lesson, he said: “Usually leaders are the last individuals to surrender, be captured, or be killed, but our Leader was the first. This was a conscious choice. He remained at his workplace in the heart of Tehran while everyone was saying an attack was coming. Do not attribute this to neglect of security protocols; no. He sacrificed himself for Iran, and his red martyrdom was the greatest command for preserving and unifying Iran.”
Referring to holding the weekly meeting with journalists at a school on Iran Street, he said this school was damaged on the first day of the attack, and from here they pay tribute to the 170 fallen flowers of Minab and those who lost their lives in recent days, those who sacrificed their lives beside the launchers for the country, and the people who unjustly lost their lives in these attacks.
He described the aim of attacking service facilities as continuously harassing the Iranian people and said sanctions and war are two sides of the same coin, and the target is Iran and Iranians.
Referring to the attack on two diplomatic police headquarters, Baghaei stated: “Their aim is to render embassies defenseless. Attacking diplomatic police alongside betrayal of diplomacy means the other side does not believe in negotiation, and all they want is surrender and dictation. They have no hesitation in designing false-flag operations to target diplomatic premises in regional countries in order to accuse Iran and drag their unfair war—which faced Iran’s decisive response—to the rest of the world.”
He stressed that this war was not Iran’s choice but was imposed on it by two evil regimes.
In response to questions, he said: “Show me a country that, while less than nine days earlier a diplomatic process with the U.S. was disrupted by their breach of commitments, once again—out of responsibility in response to the demands of parts of society and regional countries—entered negotiations? Does a dictatorial regime make such a decision? Only a system that considers itself accountable to its people makes such a decision. For us, the intention of the other side was clear, and I never expressed optimism about the negotiation process. I always said we pursue the matter seriously and in good faith. We always announced their contradictions, even during the Khordad negotiations. At the same time, our analysis was that if there was even a one percent chance to resolve the issue through diplomacy and prevent war, we had to do it. While the image of the massacre of our people and children was still before our eyes, they had to go sit before those whose hands were stained with the blood of our loved ones. We did this to answer our people that it was not Iran that was obstinate.”
Referring to statements and a tweet by the Omani foreign minister as mediator after two rounds of negotiations in Geneva, he said the talks were described as having made “significant progress,” and that before publication he went to the American delegation and jointly agreed on that wording, and that agreement for technical negotiations on Monday of the current week was requested by the other side, and holding the next round this week was also by their agreement.
Addressing recent remarks by Witkoff claiming four demands from Iran in negotiations—including ending the nuclear program, missile program, any support for friends in the region, and ending Iran’s naval activities—Baghaei emphasized that none of these issues were raised in the Geneva negotiations and that these are lies used to justify their military action against Iran. He added: “The American people should ask whether this war is designed to remove a threat to U.S. national security or is it a civilizational war to eliminate the signs of a several-thousand-year-old civilization? What threat were our Minab children to America? Or the Lamerd athletes? Or even the nuclear program that they attacked in Khordad and said they destroyed—if it was destroyed, what is the renewed war for?”
He continued: “What does Iran’s missile program have to do with you? Do they not believe that the first responsibility of a government is to protect its people? Does Iran not have the right to defend itself and be equipped to protect 90 million Iranians? We are guardians of a civilization that has served humanity. This war is a war against the noble and dignified Iranian civilization.”
Baghaei said: “Let us trust our own narrative and see their fabrications. In these two decades you have not heard a single contradictory statement from Iranian officials—for example, that the Supreme Leader said we would shift our nuclear program from peaceful to military in response to threats. The Supreme Leader was a jurist who declared his religious ruling prohibiting nuclear weapons from the beginning and remained steadfast on his view until the last moments.”
Asked whether a door to negotiations is open under these circumstances, he said: “Right now, all of Iran is focused on defense. We tested negotiations, and repeatedly I, the foreign minister, and other officials said that while we were at the negotiating table, we told our military colleagues to be more vigilant and keep your hands warmer for defense. Therefore, in one sense, no one was surprised. Despite the martyrdom of the Commander-in-Chief, it took only a few hours for our defense forces to respond, and disgrace remained for those who claimed diplomacy, considered themselves the greatest power in the world, failed before Iranian logic, knelt down, and were forced to resort to force—and the world will not forgive this. Therefore, all our power and capacity must be focused on defending ourselves. We were attacked unfairly in the midst of two rounds of negotiations.”
Responding to a question about a building near the office of Russia Today being targeted and attacks on residential areas despite claims otherwise, he said: “The international community must save itself. The international community and each government that is a member of the United Nations has failed in fulfilling its responsibilities over the past two years. Humanitarian law has been trampled, international law mutilated, and there is no trace left of the UN Charter.”
He stressed: “Military aggression against Iran is the beginning of the end of the United Nations system. Where is the UN Secretary-General? The principle of non-use of force as the essence of the UN has been violated in the most heinous way by a regime that is a permanent member of the Security Council. One day they create a peace council and the next day they trample the most important principle safeguarding peace, which is refraining from the use of force.”
He continued: “We believe attacking anything that is a source of information and awareness is part of Israel’s pattern of crimes. The biggest killer of journalists in Gaza and elsewhere is the Zionist regime. Children and journalists are primary targets of this regime. The national broadcaster is attacked for this very reason. The international community is not blind—it sees these crimes, and if it says nothing, it will see the consequences. The process that has begun will soon affect Europe. If countries think they can stay aside until the conflict ends and then have a share of this war, that will not happen. The fire of this war, ignited by America and the Zionist regime, is highly contagious and will engulf the world.”
In response to a question about attacks on certain non-military and non-American locations that do not appear to be from Iran, he said: “Iranians have shown that they know war and fight with dignity and honor, and the eight-year imposed war with Saddam’s regime is proof. Iranians have never committed any war crime or violated humanitarian principles. In a world where law-breaking has become commonplace, we consider ourselves committed to international principles and laws. The report that Qatar and Saudi Arabia arrested Mossad agents engaged in bombing operations in their countries should not be underestimated.”
Warning against the use of “false flags,” he stated: “The side that considers itself victorious in dragging America into war for the second time will not refrain from any malice or action to expand the scope of war, and I ask our friends in the region to reflect on the developments taking place. A regime that targets diplomatic police will not hesitate to commit similar crimes in these countries to divert attention, defame Iran, expand the war, and create division in the region. Simultaneously with the war they launched against Iran, carrying out bombings and sabotage in neighboring countries at ordinary facilities and embassies to attribute them to Iran is not a normal matter.”
Regarding regional countries’ alignment with the U.S. and the Zionist regime, he emphasized good neighborliness and continued cooperation with neighbors, stating: “Regional countries must know—and they do know—that this war is not only against Iran but against the Islamic world. Look at the developments of recent decades. Our defensive actions against U.S. military bases in no way mean hostility of the Iranian people toward the peoples of the region.”
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