TEHRAN (Iran News) Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says Iran will participate in the funeral ceremony for former Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah at the highest level.

During a regular press briefing on Monday, Baghaei said Nasrallah’s funeral would be very important and Iran will therefore attend at the highest level. He did not provide details.

Asked about a recent dispute with the Lebanese government in which Beirut did not permit Iranian passenger aircraft to fly to Lebanon, and a phone conversation between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Lebanese counterpart, Baghaei said Araghchi had emphasized that third parties should not be allowed to affect decision making.

“Conversations continue on, and we hope to reach a rational solution that would meet the interests of Iranian and Lebanese people,” he said.

‘U.S.’s words and deeds are not compatible’

The spokesperson said U.S. officials were saying one thing but doing another with regards to Iran.

“You can’t on the one hand threaten [someone] with ‘obliteration’ and on the other claim to support negotiations,” he said.

‘Iran’s interests section in Washington ready to assist Iranians expelled from U.S.’

Baghaei said Iran’s Interests Section in Washington, D.C., was ready to assist with those Iranian expatriates who had been expelled “improperly” from the United States.

He said the United States’ move to expel the Iranians was both wrong in terms of international law and human principles.

On Iranian nationals murdered in France

Baghaei said several weeks had passed since two Iranian nationals were murdered in France and said Iran expected pertinent French authorities to provide “more precise and transparent information” as to the nature of the crime and the motivations behind it.

“We are following up on the matter through our Embassy in France and France’s Embassy in Tehran,” he added.

‘Qatar’s Emir will be carrying no message to Iran’

Asked whether Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will be carrying a message from the United States to Iran during his upcoming visit, the spokesperson responded in the negative.

‘IAEA chief should speak on matters that relate to his area of responsibility’

Baghaei said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi should refrain from causing political inflammation. He said Grossi should comment on matters that fall within his bailiwick.

‘Iran-China relations as strong as ever’

Asked about rumors that China is refusing to take Iranian oil shipments, the spokesperson said relations between Iran and China were “very strong and solid.”

“These relations are historical and based on mutual interests and common views in various fields, and we can speak about them definitively. Therefore, these relations will go on unaffected by destructive outside forces,” he said.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has condemned the terrorist attack in Balochistan Province, Pakistan, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of several innocent workers.

In a statement on Friday, Baghaei strongly condemned the terrorist attack near a coal mine in the Harnai area, located in the north of the province.

He emphasized Iran’s principled policy of condemning terrorism in all its forms and wherever it occurs. “Pakistan’s”

The spokesman expressed sympathy with the families of the Pakistani victims and the government and wished speedy recovery for those injured in the attack.

The Iranian diplomat also emphasized the need to strengthen efforts and cooperation at both bilateral and regional levels to fight terrorism.

The incident occurred on Friday when a bomb blast targeted a vehicle carrying miners in Shahrag, a town in the Harnai area.

Baluchistan state police announced that at least 11 miners were killed and several others were injured.

No group has claimed responsibility for the terrorist blast so far.

However, elements affiliated with separatist terrorist groups, known as the Baluchi Liberation Army, have previously claimed responsibility for numerous bombings and suicide attacks.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Baghaei was speaking on Monday during his weekly press briefing in Tehran. He made the comment in response to  question that what the Islamic Republic’s stance was on the recently made allegations that Iran may withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in case that the so-called snapback mechanism is activated, and that Iran’s ballistic missiles should be part of any negotiation with the Trump administration in the US.

“Iran has never negotiated its military capabilities with anyone and will not do so”, said the spokesman.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) According to IRNA, Baghaei made the remarks on Tuesday night, in response to Macron’s anti-Iran rhetoric during his annual conference with French ambassadors to outline foreign policy objectives in 2025 at the Élysée Palace on Monday.

The French president came up with a host of allegations against the Islamic Republic ranging from the country’s regional and foreign policies to the nuclear program. While calling Iran the main “strategic and security challenge” for Europeans in the Middle East, also raised concern over Tehran’s nuclear program which he said is “close to the point of no return”.

The immediate and real threat to regional peace and stability is the occupying Israeli regime, which, with the full support of the United States and some European countries, including France, in addition to continuing the occupation and genocide, has continuously expanded the scope of its aggression to various countries in the region, the Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman reacted to Macron’s claims.

Baghaei added: It is very regrettable that the French President, instead of criticizing a genocidal and apartheid regime whose leaders are wanted by the International Criminal Court, is pointing the finger at a country (Iran) that has always been a harbinger of peace and respect for the principles of international law.

The spokesman also rejected the French President’s claim about Iran’s nuclear program, emphasizing that the country peaceful nuclear activities are within the framework of international law and under the strict and continuous supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He called it “clearly projective and deceitful” for making unfounded claims by a government (France) that has itself refused to fulfill its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and, on the other hand, has played a major role in a genocidal regime’s acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Recalling Iran’s consistent and principled stance on a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, Baghaei rejected the claim of intervention there, saying: “Such irresponsible statements are tantamount to distorting the facts and an attempt to conceal the destructive role of the main crisis-causing actors in the world.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Foreign Ministry spokesman expressed surprise and regret at Macron’s concern about Iran’s interactions with African countries, saying “countries having a history of violent colonialism in Africa cannot determine the fate of independent nation with the same mentality”.

The relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with African countries are based on mutual respect and are being pursued in order to achieve mutual benefits, Baghaei added.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Baghaei said during a weekly press conference on Monday that Iran had been in contact with Syrian opposition groups for a long time before the fall of the Assad government.

He said that the Islamic Republic has told the groups that its presence in Syria was to prevent the advance of the ISIS group and the spread of terrorism to the regional countries.

The diplomat said that attempts by certain actors to undermine relations between different countries.

In response to a question whether the ruling group of Syria has sent a message via Türkiye to Iran, Baghaei said that Iran uses multilateral meetings to discuss various issues, adding that the issue of Syria has been on the agenda of talks between Iran and Türkiye.

Iran’s position is to preserve the sovereignty and integrity of Syria and to help the Syrian people determine their destiny without foreign interference, he said, adding that it is important for Syria not to become a safe haven for terrorists.

Israel’s violation of Palestine’s environmental rights

Baghaei said that the UN General Assembly has been mentioning the Zionist regime’s responsibility for environmental issues since 2007, adding that Palestinian natural resources have been violated and the recent resolution is in line with the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

He added that another resolution issued by the UNGA in recent days has urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion on the Zionist regime’s policy of stopping the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

No action has been taken to implement the six provisional measures of the ICJ to halt the genocide of the Zionist regime so far, the spokesman said.

D-8 Summit in Cairo

The spokesman said that D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation has been active for nearly three decades and creates a structure for political and economic cooperation among its members.

He said that the recent D-8 meeting in Cairo was also a good opportunity to negotiate with other participating officials,

Baghaei described Egypt as an important country in the Islamic and the Arab world, adding that Iran tends to establish relations with regional countries that are willing to establish relations with Iran.

He said that negotiations between Iran and E3 will continue with agreement between the parties, adding that in a first meeting last month, the parties agreed to hold another meeting which he said will probably be held in mid-January.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Baghaei made the comments on Saturday, a day after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that Iran is dramatically accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity.

The spokesman said that Grossi’s remarks are a reference to the “confrontational and unconstructive” action by the US, the UK, France and Germany at the IAEA’s Board of Governors where they pushed for the approval of an anti-Iran resolution without any legal basis or logical justification.

Baghaei also referred to Grossi’s visit to Tehran three weeks ago, during which Tehran and the IAEA agreed to strengthen technical cooperation.

The spokesman said that Grossi brought initiatives, but it was the US and those three European countries that caused the IAEA chief’s efforts to be fruitless through pursuing a policy of pressure and exploiting the Board of Governors.

Based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, Iran is pursuing its peaceful nuclear program in a transparent way and under the IAEA supervision, Baghaei said, adding that the country has informed the agency of its recent activities that remain under its continuous supervision.

The spokesman said that Grossi’s remarks are a reference to the “confrontational and unconstructive” action by the US, the UK, France and Germany at the IAEA’s Board of Governors where they pushed for the approval of an anti-Iran resolution without any legal basis or logical justification.

Baghaei also referred to Grossi’s visit to Tehran three weeks ago, during which Tehran and the IAEA agreed to strengthen technical cooperation.

The spokesman said that Grossi brought initiatives, but it was the US and those three European countries that caused the IAEA chief’s efforts to be fruitless through pursuing a policy of pressure and exploiting the Board of Governors.

Based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, Iran is pursuing its peaceful nuclear program in a transparent way and under the IAEA supervision, Baghaei said, adding that the country has informed the agency of its recent activities that remain under its continuous supervision.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Esmail Baghaei wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, “20th November, World Children’s Day, highlights the right of all children to live in peace and security. This is an occasion to see the suffering of the children in Gaza.”

Referring to the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime in the Gaza Strip, he wrote, “Under relentless bombardment, Gaza has become a graveyard for kids. Over 17,000 Palestinian children have been slaughtered, thousands are missing, tens of thousands are injured, with over a thousand amputations often performed without anesthesia, more than 35,000 lost one or both parents, many lost entire families.”

Baghaei also pointed out to a comment by the UN special rapporteur, adding, “As UN Special Rapporteur @FranceskAlbs declared, up to 700 Palestinian children per annum have been kidnapped and held hostages for decades.”

In conclusion, he highlighted the repercussions of the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza, noting: “Malnutrition has claimed 3,500 children, countless others suffer from hunger, disease, and displacement, and lack of basic living necessities. These are deep wounds on the conscience of humanity. It is high time that the world stopped impunity for the atrocious crimes against Palestinian children.”

The Israeli regime’s genocide in Gaza has martyred at least 43,972 Palestinians and wounded 104,008 since October 7, 2023.

Baghaei also pointed out to a comment by the UN special rapporteur, adding, “As UN Special Rapporteur @FranceskAlbs declared, up to 700 Palestinian children per annum have been kidnapped and held hostages for decades.”

In conclusion, he highlighted the repercussions of the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza, noting: “Malnutrition has claimed 3,500 children, countless others suffer from hunger, disease, and displacement, and lack of basic living necessities. These are deep wounds on the conscience of humanity. It is high time that the world stopped impunity for the atrocious crimes against Palestinian children.”

The Israeli regime’s genocide in Gaza has martyred at least 43,972 Palestinians and wounded 104,008 since October 7, 2023.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) In a statement released on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the EU and UK’s sanctions on several Iranian entities and individuals, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), are “unjustifiable, inconsistent with international law, and in violation of the EU and UK’s commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).”

He said the EU and UK justify their sanctions by the “unfounded claim” that Iran supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, pointing out that even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself had acknowledged that no Iranian ballistic missiles had been delivered to Russia.

Therefore, he reiterated that using this claim as a pretext for sanctions against Iran is “completely unjustifiable and lacks legitimacy or any legal or rational basis.”

“Freedom of navigation and maritime trade are fundamental principles of international maritime law, and accordingly, the international responsibility of the European parties for violations of international law is evident,” he added.

On Monday, the European Union announced new sanctions against Iran over its alleged support for Russia in the Ukraine war, including targeting vessels and ports it claimed were used to transfer drones and missiles to Russia.

Acting in parallel, the UK also announced fresh sanctions against the country, freezing the assets of IRISL as well as national airline Iran Air, charging that they were used for transporting ballistic missiles and military supplies to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Iran has repeatedly dismissed allegations of sending drones and missiles to Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

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