Iran (IMNA) - Responding to criticism that the meeting should have been postponed because its announcement allegedly reduced pressure on Iran’s adversaries, Baqaei said such an approach could always be used to argue that a particular diplomatic initiative was not timely.
“You cannot make decisions in the field of diplomacy and seize opportunities based solely on one factor and one consideration; what ultimately matters to us is securing national interests at the appropriate time,” he said in an interview with national television.
Baqaei said Iran’s diplomatic engagement with regional countries should be considered within the broader framework of the country’s security and foreign-policy objectives.
He described the fact that regional countries had reached the conclusion that common security challenges should be addressed through dialogue among regional states, without the presence of foreign powers, as a significant diplomatic achievement.
“In such circumstances, when apparently no movement should have taken place, the fact that our diplomacy succeeds, backed by the power of the field, in bringing countries to the conclusion that the solution to common security in the region is to sit together and engage in dialogue without the presence of foreigners is not a small achievement,” he said.
Iran is in a state of war
Baqaei also rejected characterizing Iran’s current situation as one of “neither war nor peace,” saying that the country is, in fact, in a state of war.
“We are in a state of war. The reason is clear. As long as economic sanctions and the naval blockade by the enemy continue, economic war also continues, and this constitutes war,” he said.
Referring to UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, Baqaei said that an economic or naval blockade against a country constitutes an act of aggression under international law.
“Therefore, whatever we do in this situation is called defense,” he added.
Baqaei rejects US accusations over Yemen
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also rejected repeated US accusations regarding Iran’s involvement in Yemen, describing them as part of a recurring pattern in US policymaking.
Baqaei said Washington was seeking to attribute its own mistakes and problems to others, arguing that such an approach would neither resolve the underlying problems nor help the United States find solutions.
He added that the repeated accusations could mislead public opinion and divert attention from the real issues.
Iran ready to facilitate dialogue in Yemen
Baqaei said the unfounded accusations against Iran indicated that Washington was seeking to further destabilize the situation and perpetuate turmoil among Muslim countries.
He stressed that Iran was ready to help facilitate dialogue and support implementation of a roadmap agreed upon by the Yemenis and relevant parties, including Saudi Arabia.
Baqaei emphasized that Tehran’s position was principled and based on the agreements reached by the parties themselves.
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