Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says Iran will give its response to a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump once the Islamic Republic completes undertaking a review of the letter.
Baqaei made the comment on Monday in a weekly press briefing of the Foreign Ministry in Tehran nearly a week after Iran received Trump’s letter. The U.S. president announced on March 7 that he had written the letter to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, a month after he restored his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, while expressing willingness to negotiate with the Islamic Republic.
Baqaei said that Tehran does not intend to publicize the content of the letter, emphasizing that what has been published in the media is mostly speculation. However, he added, the context of the letter does not differ from what the U.S. president has said publicly.
He said that Iran’s “response to this correspondence will be made” through appropriate channels after a review of Trump’s letter is completed, rejecting any connection between the letter and the Sunday trip by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Oman, which he had been scheduled in advance.
The spokesperson further said that the U.S. has numerous ways to demonstrate its sincerity, but it sends contradictory messages as Washington expresses readiness for negotiations while it simultaneously imposes sanctions on Iran’s trade and manufacturing sectors.
Diplomatic negotiations have their own rules that require parties to have a view based on mutual respect and interest, Baqaei said, adding that the U.S. has a poor record in honoring its commitments, and seeks to misuse negotiations as a political and propaganda tool rather than as a means to resolve differences.
U.S. attacks on Yemen
The spokesperson referred to the United States’ latest airstrikes on Yemen and its threats against Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic will firmly respond to any aggression against its territorial integrity, security, and national interests.
The United States’ attempt to attribute the resistance of the Yemeni people to other nations aligns with its agenda to amend its failures over the past 20 months, he said.
The people and government of Yemen independently conduct actions they deem necessary to support Palestine, which reflects their decision to back the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian nation, he said.
Baqaei condemned the U.S.’s attack on Yemen as a crime that violates international regulations and the United Nations Charter, calling for immediate action from the international community, Islamic countries, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Iran’s diplomatic measures
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to fulfill its duties, including Araqchi’s visit to Oman, the trilateral Iran-Russia-China meeting in Beijing, today’s visit of the deputy foreign minister to Vienna for talks with officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the spokesperson said.
Regarding the Iran-China-Russia meeting, Baqaei said that the trio regularly hold discussions on issues of mutual interests as well as regional and international developments, but the latest meeting, which was held on Friday, was proposed by the Islamic Republic and held for the first time.
He said that this meeting laid the groundwork for a constructive path for trilateral support for the rule of law at the international level and the promotion of multilateralism. Representatives of the three countries discussed Iran’s nuclear issue, the spokesperson said, adding that the deputy foreign ministers also discussed cooperation within the BRICS group and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Washington’s Palestine stance
Further in his presser, Baqaei pointed out to the United States’ decision to expel the South African ambassador to Washington, saying that it is not a covert issue that freedom of expression will be suppressed in the U.S. when it comes to supporting the Palestinian resistance and nation.
Iran views this move as a violation of diplomatic and consular rights conventions, which also demonstrates an insult to principled human rights regulations regarding freedom of speech and belief.
The U.S.’s anti-Muslim measures
Baqaei said that the travel bans imposed by the Trump administration on nationals from 43 Muslim nations, including Iran, are a clear example of racism against certain religious and ethnic communities, which violates international human rights as well.
The ban on Iranian nationals is specifically indicative of American politicians’ hostility toward the Iranian nation, and is part of pressure against the country, the spokesperson said.
At the international level, the ban is a blow to the principle of interaction and understanding among nations, which promotes hatred among them.
Iran’s assets case at ICJ
Asked about Iran’s complaint at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the Islamic Republic’s proceedings against the U.S. regarding violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity – seeking the unfreezing and return of nearly $2 billion in Iranian assets held in the U.S. – the spokesperson said that legal departments of the president’s office and the Foreign Ministry are following up on this case.
Developments in Syria
The spokesperson expressed regret over the latest military clash between Lebanon and Syria, saying that the only winner from these developments is Israel that seeks disintegration of Syria and the weakening of regional nations.
Iran hopes that Syria’s rulers manage the developments in their country by taking into consideration the fact that Israel is seeking to take advantage of every opportunity to create division among Islamic countries.
IAEA’s political stance
The spokesperson reiterated Iran’s position that politicized approaches taken by IAEA officials would not have a positive and constructive impact on bilateral cooperation between the two sides. He also said that the deputy foreign minister’s trip to Vienna on Monday is in continuation of Iran’s cooperation with the agency.
Considering a recent increase in threats against Iran’s peaceful nuclear sites, it is natural that the country steps up negotiations aimed at assessing related technical aspects and warning against the consequences of such threats.
Europe’s JCPOA role
The spokesperson said that European states had a unique opportunity to play a key role in reviving the 2015 Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but they failed to comply with their commitments under the agreement following the withdrawal of the United States in 2018.
Baqaei also warned about the repercussions of the snapback mechanism – the automatic re-imposition of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran – on other signatories to the JCPOA. He also said that there is no reason for Western countries to resort to this mechanism, adding that the goal would be only to put more political pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The U.S.’s anti-Iran pressure
Answering a question on the United States’ threat to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, Baqaei said that the U.S. has a long history of adopting anti-Iran measures, including the American-British coup against the Iranian government during the nationalization of the oil industry. He emphasized that the Iranian nation is determined to overcome all challenges.
Source: IRNA
