ALWAGHT- The Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that past experience has proven that the presence of US military forces in the region poses a threat, not a source of security.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, told VICE News that Tehran respects regional sovereignty and has no hostility toward neighboring countries, but will firmly exercise its right to self-defense. He rejected claims that Iran's strikes on American and Israeli interests in Persian Gulf Arab states were retaliation, framing them instead as legitimate self-defense. Regarding potential talks with the US, Baghaei stated that Iran seeks no concessions—only an end to US "criminal actions," including the lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets, and termination of what he called an illegal "naval blockade" that has disrupted free trade in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman, and international waters.
Baghaei also addressed US military bases in Persian Gulf countries used to launch attacks on Iran, saying Tehran has shown maximum restraint and does not wish to expand the war. However, he warned that the level of "abuse" regarding those facilities has reached an extreme point, forcing Iran to react. He cautioned that next time—which he hoped would never come—no one would be able to contain the conflict, adding that "war is like fire; if you do not extinguish it, it will spread." On the Strait of Hormuz, he reaffirmed Iran's commitment to security and safe passage, in cooperation with Oman and international organizations, while preventing further aggression.
