Baghaei: No one believes Zionist regime acts without US coordination

Tehran - BORNA - Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, at the beginning of his weekly press briefing detailed the latest developments in West Asia and Iran's response to the Zionist regime's aggression against southern Lebanon, then answered reporters' questions regarding the latest foreign policy developments and international affairs.

In response to a question about current American claims that Netanyahu acts independently in attacking Iran and Lebanon and that Netanyahu does not heed Trump, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "In our region, no one believes that any action by the Zionist regime occurs without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States."

He continued: "The US State Department explicitly stated during the 40-day war that the reason for the US-imposed war on Iran was to support the Zionist regime, and now, despite the claims of American officials, we are aware that CENTCOM is cooperating and coordinating with the Zionist regime in both defensive and offensive capacities."

Baghaei added: "The interpretation that the Zionist regime does not heed the United States and acts independently of American wishes is a matter that can be discussed, but attention must be paid to the fact that America's responsibility as a party to the April 8 ceasefire is established. Whatever happens in the region that violates the ceasefire – whether through America's attack on Iranian commercial ships and facilities in southern Iran or through the Zionist regime's actions in Lebanon – America's direct responsibility in this regard is established, and the consequences of escalating tensions lie with the United States."

Events of past 24 hours will worsen already disordered diplomatic process

In response to a question about the status of negotiations following the provocative actions of the Zionist regime and Iran's response, Baghaei said: "These events intensify suspicions. Even now, we were exchanging messages with the United States in an atmosphere of very deep mistrust."

He added: "The actions of the Zionist regime in the region cannot be separated from American policies. The contradictions, inconsistent behaviors, and what they themselves call confusing announcements – whether intentional or not – have already caused enough disruption in the diplomatic process."

Baghaei emphasized: "The events of the past 24 hours will only add to this disordered situation in the diplomatic process."

We will act wherever necessary within framework of security and national interests

In response to a question about how far Iran is willing to go following the escalation of tensions in the region, the Foreign Ministry official said: "Wherever necessary, wherever our national interests require, and wherever our national security deems necessary, we will certainly act."

He added: "We cannot under any circumstances allow the Zionist regime or the United States to exploit the current situation to repeat their aggressions and expand their scope, merely issuing a general statement claiming 'we are committed to the ceasefire' – a ceasefire they are continuously and repeatedly violating every day. The armed forces, the diplomatic apparatus, and all pillars of Iran are prepared to face any situation to protect the country's security and national interests."

Zionist regime has always been a disruptor of any diplomatic process

In response to a question about reports that Israel has spied on the US negotiating team and whether such a claim can be accepted, Baghaei said: "Nothing is beyond expectation from the Zionist regime. This is particularly interesting because the Americans, by their own admission, have always consulted with the Zionist regime before and after negotiations and kept them informed of the negotiations."

Baghaei continued: "Hearing that American officials have been subjected to intelligence operations by the Zionist regime is further evidence that the Zionist regime does not ordinarily respect any diplomatic process that leads to a measure of calm in our region, and has always acted as a threat and disruptor of any diplomatic process."

He added: "What has been raised is a dispute that must be resolved between America and Israel, but public opinion and the countries of the region will draw the necessary lessons from this situation and these reports, and will understand more than before which party actively spares no effort to undermine the diplomatic process in the region."

Iran's options

In response to a question about Iran's new options in the event of further escalation by the Zionist regime, Baghaei said: "This question should be asked to Iran's armed forces. I suspect they will not speak about it, but will demonstrate in practice how they will defend Iran's national interests and sovereignty."

In response to a question about the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, Grossi's report on Iran's nuclear program, and US efforts to pass a resolution against Iran, Baghaei said: "We are certainly prepared for any eventuality and have the appropriate response in mind. The important point is that whoever is a candidate for UN Secretary-General must act responsibly in their behavior, statements, and performance of their duties as an international institution, namely the IAEA. The Director General insists on his very inappropriate and unconstructive approach. He ignores the main cause of the current situation and only pays attention to its consequences and symptoms."

Baghaei stated: "If the IAEA has concerns about Iran's nuclear issue, it must blame those responsible for this situation, namely the United States and the Zionist regime. The IAEA has still not made a responsible statement nor condemned the illegal attacks on Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities, but on similar cases in our region, the Director General very quickly traveled to that country and adopted harsh positions. This double standard further strengthens the perennial suspicion that the IAEA Director General intends to pursue a biased, non-technical, and political approach toward Iran, which will only discredit the IAEA and the Director General himself regarding his non-proliferation commitments."

In response to a question about reports that the US seeks to confiscate Iran's blocked assets in favor of regional countries, Baghaei said: "These claims are part of the war and media and propaganda pressure by the opposing sides. This is a ridiculous claim because we are strongly owed by all regional parties that in any way played a role in the aggression and crimes committed by the US and Israel against Iran. We will pursue this claim in any way we can. The issue of Iran's blocked assets is one component of any understanding currently being negotiated, and Iran will never show leniency on this matter."

In response to a question about the level of coordination between negotiating bodies and other sectors of the country, Baghaei said: "The process of interactions and coordination between negotiating bodies and other sectors of the country is excellent and will continue to improve. It is essentially impossible to imagine that without this coordination at the highest level, our country could have managed the unprecedented crises imposed on Iran over these 90 days in this manner – whether on the battlefield, in diplomacy, or in advancing domestic affairs and overall governance. Thankfully, coordination exists at all levels in the best possible way, and it will continue in this manner, God willing."

In response to a question about whether negotiations had been suspended before the recent tensions, Baghaei said: "The exchange of messages continued, and one of the reasons for the presence of Pakistan's Interior Minister in Tehran was to help continue the dialogue process and carry out matters related to mediation."

In response to a question about reports of Egypt deploying defense and missile systems in the UAE and Egypt's harsh rhetoric against Iran, Baghaei said: "Surely our Egyptian friends know that credibility is gained through accurate recognition of friend and foe, not through threatening an Islamic country that is confronting the Zionist regime. Yes, we have also seen these reports. We have no problem with Egypt, just as we have no problem with any Muslim and Arab country in the region. We have repeatedly emphasized that we are determined to maintain the principle of good neighborliness and good relations with all countries and nations of the region."

He added: "We regret that some regional countries have allowed their territory, facilities, and sovereignty to be used for the commission of crime, aggression, and illegal attacks by the Zionist regime and the United States against a Muslim country in the region. I advise all countries concerned about Islamic and Arab unity and credibility to be careful not to knowingly or unknowingly throw water on the enemy's mill. Credibility can be gained in various ways. That for more than three years your brothers and sisters in Gaza have been mutilated, subjected to outright genocide, and unfortunately nothing has happened from their brothers and sisters across the border – I think that is very telling."

In response to a question about some Lebanese government positions against Iran, Baghaei said: "Our position is very clear. We consider ourselves friends of Lebanon and its people, and we believe that the only way to protect Lebanon's national security against the occupying and apartheid Zionist regime is to preserve Lebanon's national unity. We believe any action or position that undermines this unity in any way is not in Lebanon's interest. As a friend of Lebanon, we will not hesitate to take any action we can to help protect Lebanon's national sovereignty and dignity."

In response to reports about Iran attacking US military positions in Saudi Arabia, Baghaei said: "Our armed forces courageously announce any target they strike within the framework of Iran's legitimate right to self-defense. In this case, we have had no announcement from the armed forces. We have consistently warned about deceptive operations or false flags in the confused situation our region is facing. On multiple occasions, both in the 40 days leading up to the April 8 ceasefire and during last year's imposed war, the Zionist regime or other parties in the region have carried out false flag attacks to create greater division and discord among regional countries. Any action we take, we will certainly announce."

In response to a question about whether efforts are underway by various countries, including regional states, to reduce tensions, Baghaei said: "Diplomatic consultations are natural in any situation. Iran showed extraordinary restraint after the ceasefire. We were faced with ceasefire violations by the US and the Zionist regime, with multiple violations committed by the US in cooperation with the Zionist regime and using some regional countries. Iran's action was completely defensive within the framework of defending Iran and Article 51 of the UN Charter. We are now in a situation where various parties at the regional and international levels are contacting us to help reduce tensions, but the statements and positions of American officials that they were unaware of the Zionist regime's attack on Lebanon indicate that the Americans believe the ceasefire in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire agreement. At the same time, what matters to us is practical action. America bears direct responsibility for any action the Zionist regime takes in violating international peace and security against Iran."

No nation or part of the region wants to end up like the 'Lover Lion'

In response to a question about reports that some resistance groups in Iraq have come under US pressure to surrender their weapons, Baghaei said: "Our position on Iraq's government, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity is completely clear. Preserving Iraq's national security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity is important to us not only as a legal principle within the framework of respect for good neighborliness, but we also consider it necessary for preserving Iran's national security. At the same time, we know that Iraqi resistance groups, as part of Iraq's country and people, alongside their government, have played a major role in protecting Iraq's entity against ISIS terrorism as well as confronting foreign interventions. This is a role that the people of Iraq and the people of the region will always remember."

He added: "I think all countries in the region and all those concerned about the national unity of their countries as well as regional security and the surrounding environment have learned lessons from the developments of recent months. At the very least, one can point to the developments of the past three months and especially the events of the past 24 hours. I believe no nation and no part of the region wants its fate to become an example of the story of the 'Lover Lion' – a fable by the French writer Jean de La Fontaine in which reckless trust and the loss of the tools of power lead to a tragic end."

In response to another question about negotiations, Baghaei said: "The very reason for the existence of negotiations and dialogues was to ensure the end of the war in the region, especially in Lebanon. The Zionist regime, through its actions – whether with or without America's knowledge, whether with or without coordination with it – aims for nothing but the destruction of any diplomatic process. Therefore, we cannot say that these developments will not affect current processes."

He continued: "The visit of Pakistan's Interior Minister was in continuation of Pakistan's role as mediator in the negotiations. Pakistan has taken this responsibility seriously, and during the Pakistani Interior Minister's visit to Iran, he brought a message from Pakistan's Prime Minister to the Supreme Leader, which was delivered."

Regarding protests in Albania and the Albanian Prime Minister's accusations against Iran, Baghaei said: "Perhaps they will say the flamingos were likely Iranian security agents. This claim is a stereotypical pattern where any governing body that wants to get closer to the Zionist regime levels accusations against Iran to please them. The Albanian people, however, have a high level of understanding and know that such evasions are aimed at escaping accountability to their people for actions that the Albanian people consider selling their country's sovereignty and dignity. We have previously witnessed that Albanian authorities allowed a terrorist group to settle in their country over the past two decades. We know that the Albanian people were strongly opposed to this from the beginning. This shows that Albanian authorities, instead of responding to the legitimate and logical demands of their people, prefer to try to close the matter with these laughable accusations against Iran. Certainly, the Albanian people are too discerning to accept such claims."

In response to a question about Lindsey Graham's recent remarks supporting the Zionist regime, Baghaei said: "One of the fundamental problems in US decision-making and decision-taking is that it is caught in the grip of a collection of extremely warmongering and unethical circles and individuals, who have managed over the past two or three decades to advance their warmongering views regardless of America's national interests and the costs these endless wars impose on the American people."

He emphasized: "We are witnessing increasing opposition in American society to America's warmongering. While the current US administration claimed it wanted to end endless wars, we see that under the influence of these same warmongering circles, it has practically dragged America once again into a costly war in our region. War is not just about financial costs. The problem at the analytical level in America and Western sources is that they easily set aside the moral and human consequences of war. This war is not just about military costs and issues related to defeat or victory in war. Its consequences in terms of gross violations of international humanitarian law and the crimes committed against the people of Iran and the region are unprecedented, and certainly American decision-makers and the Zionist regime will have to be held accountable for these consequences."

In response to a question from an American media outlet about the possibility of a prisoner exchange between Iran and America and reports that Iran has agreed to transfer part of its enriched uranium abroad as part of a potential agreement, Baghaei said: "Our negotiations are focused on ending the war. We have repeatedly said that talking about details of Iran's nuclear program, including about Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, is speculation, and at this stage we are not discussing details. If this stage reaches a conclusion, this will be one of the topics for negotiation in the next stage. But at this stage, our focus is on ending the war. So all speculation about how to deal with enriched uranium or enrichment is nothing more than media speculation."

Regarding the new composition of the UN Security Council's non-permanent members and Germany's failure to be elected, Baghaei said: "The five new countries added to the composition of the Security Council will certainly have an impact on the Council's approaches. We hope that the entry of these countries into the Council will be accompanied by the Council's responsibility toward international peace and security and an end to selective approaches toward issues in our region. We wish success for Kyrgyzstan as a country elected as a non-permanent member for the first time, and we are happy that a country from our region and a friend of ours has joined the Council, as well as Zimbabwe as an important African country. The international community's lack of favor toward Germany was noteworthy. There are various analyses in this regard. Germany, due to its policies over the past three years in supporting the crimes of the Zionist regime in occupied Palestine and the military aggression against Iran, especially because of that very inappropriate statement by German officials justifying Israel's crimes against Iran during the 12-day war – which we have certainly not forgotten – has been taken into account by the international community."

In response to a question about the US failing to issue visas to some members of Iran's national football team, including the head of the Football Federation, just three days before the World Cup, Baghaei said to the reporter: "You made an interesting comparison. The previous World Cup in Qatar was very well-organized and was a good experience for us. Now three countries are jointly hosting this event, and we are sorry that due to America's actions, we may witness one of the most politicized sporting events."

He continued: "We thank Mexico for its cooperation in hosting Iran's national team, but we must attribute America's actions to their enmity toward the Iranian nation. We are talking about Iran's national football team, and like the forty-something other teams that have qualified for this event, they should be able to do their work without discrimination and without pressure and stress. So far, a significant portion of FIFA regulations and the host government's commitments have been violated by the United States, including the failure to issue visas to several team members who should have received visas under FIFA regulations. Also regarding the team's time in US stadiums, according to regulations, they should be able to familiarize themselves with the field at least 48 hours before the start of the match."

Baghaei added: "We are sorry that the United States has not spared even the sports arena from mistreatment and harassment of the Iranian nation. But despite these actions, we have confidence in our national football team and know that our youth, the members of the national football team, will try with honor and all their strength to make the people happy, and we wish them success."

In response to a question about Iran's plan to restore ties with Arab countries in the region, Baghaei said: "We are determined to restore relations with regional countries. The policy of good neighborliness with all regional countries is a fixed policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. But we must bear in mind that Iran was not responsible for what happened over these three months. We repeatedly warned neighboring countries not to allow their territory and facilities to be misused by the US and the Zionist regime to attack Iran. Unfortunately, these warnings were not heeded in practice. Nevertheless, we have always said that as permanent neighbors and countries with abundant historical, cultural, and religious ties, we must strive to create a secure and self-reliant region in terms of regional security. We are determined in this regard and will certainly continue this process."

In response to a question about media reports regarding the positive outcome of the Pakistani Interior Minister's visit to Tehran, Baghaei said: "The negotiation process is dynamic, and the viewpoints of the parties are being conveyed through the Pakistani mediator. The presence of Pakistan's Interior Minister was aimed at accelerating the exchange of messages, and we have always welcomed the presence of Pakistani parties as a party that has taken on the important responsibility of mediation. This is not the first time that the Zionist regime, whenever it feels a process is making positive progress, carries out a provocative and destructive act."

In response to a question about Grossi's remarks regarding the need for strictness on Iran's commitments in any potential agreement, Baghaei said: "Iran is a member of the NPT and has always been committed to its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. What we have witnessed over the past two years, especially following the Zionist regime's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities last June, is the result of actions by the US and that regime. If the IAEA claims its activities have been disrupted, the reason is not us, but the illegal and criminal attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The IAEA must hold the US and the regime accountable. The Director General repeating the same old statements and addressing Iran does not change the reality."

In response to a question about whether economic exchanges between Iran and Pakistan remain ceremonial rather than practical despite vast capacities, Baghaei said: "Diplomatic processes and cooperation between countries are a continuous and ongoing process. The prerequisite for creating change in various economic and commercial fields is that these exchanges, visits, and consultations continue and expand. Also, the problems and obstacles hindering the development of economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries must be identified and removed. Certainly, these visits are not ceremonial. Alongside these visits, before and after them, various exchanges and consultations at different levels between the economic bodies of the two countries have taken place and continue to take place. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within the framework of economic diplomacy, is seriously pursuing this matter to the best of its ability. If you look at the statistics and figures, in these past six months we have witnessed positive developments and progress in the economic relations and cooperation between the two countries."

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