ALWAGHT- Iran's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its diplomatic ties with Lebanon and expressed Tehran's complete openness to discussions with Lebanese officials. The spokesperson also noted upcoming presidential trips to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei held a wide-ranging press conference addressing regional conflicts, international relations, and bilateral diplomacy. He began by marking Student Day and criticizing unilateral sanctions, before strongly condemning the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank, urging international action to stop it.
Baghaei offered pointed critiques of several Western nations. He argued that a new US National Security Strategy effectively serves Israeli interests and exposes American hypocrisy on human rights, while also criticizing German and European interference in other countries' affairs. He firmly rejected any foreign claims on Iran's sovereignty, particularly regarding three Persian Gulf islands, and denied all accusations of Iranian interference in Lebanon's internal politics, instead expressing readiness for direct dialogue with Lebanese officials.
On diplomatic and consular matters, the spokesperson outlined upcoming presidential visits to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and a foreign ministerial trip to Azerbaijan, Russia, and Belarus. He confirmed that communication with the US occurs only through official interest sections and stated that Iran's contact with the IAEA is direct, requiring no mediation. He also addressed the harassment and forced return of Iranian citizens from the United States.
Concluding with broader regional and global concerns, Baghaei reiterated Iran's role in trying to de-escalate tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He condemned US military threats against Venezuela and defended resistance groups like Hezbollah as legitimate liberation movements. Finally, he warned that US military presence is a source of regional instability and criticized the punitive actions taken against UN official Francesca Albanese for her work on Palestine.
