Iran steps up diplomatic efforts to stop spillover of war in region: FM spox

TEHRAN (Iran News) As part of those efforts, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took a regional tour that began with a trip to Lebanon, the spokesman said on Monday during his weekly press briefing in Tehran.

He added that the foreign minister also had phone conversations with officials in the region and elsewhere to pursue Iran’s diplomatic efforts.

The top diplomat held “good negotiations” aimed at preventing the escalation of tensions, while he sought to send Iran’s message that it intends to develop and improve ties with its neighbors, Baghaei said.

Considering the current conditions in the region, Iran has sent a clear message by fulfilling its humane, moral and legal duty to shoulder the responsibility of establishing and promoting regional peace and stability, and bringing an end to the Zionist regime’s evil acts, the spokesman further said.

He also noted that Russia and China, as two key members of the UN Security Council, can also play a significant role in the de-escalation of tensions, and are strongly opposed to the Israeli regime’s stance.

Regional peace, security

Baghaei told IRNA’s correspondent that Tehran does not exclude any country from its regional diplomatic efforts, emphasizing that peace is a collective responsibility, because peace and security should be safeguarded by regional states. “They themselves must show their willingness to this end,” he said.

He went on to say that despite differences with certain neighboring states, Iran prioritizes dialogue to maintain peace, and that Iranian officials would be visiting Kuwait and Bahrain to pursue this objective.

Iran’s trio islands

He also pointed to the renewed claims around the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf, expressing regret that the issue is being raised when the region should be focused on dealing with the Israeli regime.

Iran’s stance on its sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear when it comes to negotiating with its partners and friends, he said, adding that Tehran has already issued protest notes on the matter.

Iran-Turkiye ties

Baghaei noted that the relationship between Iran and Turkiye, as two major countries and regional powers in the Islamic world, is very distinguished, and that the recent visit by the Turkish foreign minister to Tehran provided a good opportunity.

Both countries are committed and working together to stop the Israeli aggressions against Gaza and Lebanon, he said.

Iran-Hamas relationship

He also said the Iranian authorities’ interactions with Hamas officials also demonstrated that Hamas is alive.

Israel’s threats against Iran’s nuclear sites

Baghaei said that in protest to Israeli threats against Iran’s nuclear, the Islamic Republic has presented a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, adding that the country will pursue the issue at other levels as well.

“Our message is clear,” Baghaei said, adding that Iran has declared over and over that it will seriously respond to any evil act from the Israeli regime.

And it is Iran that will decide on the form of its response, he asserted.

The regional countries are now mature enough to understand that they themselves are responsible for bringing about peace and security to the region, he said, stressing that the aftermath of any “insecurity will affect all regional countries.”

Regional countries will not let their soils be used against any other states in the region, the spokesman underlined.

US sanctions on Iran

The recently-imposed sanctions by the US and Europe against the Iranian airlines will change nothing, he said.

“Such bans will deprive people of their basic rights.”

US-Iran exchange of message

Elsewhere in his press conference, the spokesman said that the exchange of messages between Iran and the US via Oman, which focused on the nuclear issue, has been halted due to the current regional conditions.

He added, however, that the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington have continued through other channels, the most important of which is the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

BRICS summit

On the upcoming BRICS summit, which is set to be held in Russia this week, the Iranian diplomat said that Russia is one of the founding members of the BRICS and plays a key role in developments regarding the bloc.

Iran welcomes any initiative, specially from its friends, which will help stop Israel’s warmongering, Baghaei said.

“We think that the first necessary step for the region is to halt the war in Gaza and Lebanon,” he noted, adding that Iran will continue to pursue, within the framework of international law, the rights of the Lebanese and Palestinian people, considering it as a moral duty of the Islamic Republic and other regional countries.

Cultural ties with Turkiye

On insulting comments made by the head of a Turkish media outlet, Baghaei said that the issue was resolved through negotiations between Iran’s Culture Minister Abbas Saleh Shariati and Turkish officials.

“Cultural relations remain established between the two countries and are in their best condition,” the spokesman said.