Negotiation Under Pressure and Threats is Meaningless

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a press conference held this morning (Monday), "In terms of diplomatic developments in the past week, I think the most important event was the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah. This meeting was held at the suggestion of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address developments in occupied Palestine, and specifically to make decisions regarding the conspiracy to displace the people of Gaza from this strip to neighboring countries."

Baghaei added: "Threats and the use of force are prohibited under all laws and constitute a violation of international norms. This issue has been raised in various forms, but has the Iranian nation ever reacted to these threats with anything other than resistance and determination to achieve its goals? No."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "The nature of American policymakers is bullying and disregarding international laws and norms. The use of the dual approach of negotiation and war indicates a lack of seriousness in negotiations. Iran has never deviated from this understanding of negotiation. Negotiations under pressure and threats are meaningless. Iran's position is clear. Last night, the Foreign Minister also emphasized on X  that Iran will not accept negotiations under pressure."

He further clarified: "Regarding the non-renewal of Iraq's exemption for gas purchases, I must say that such statements are essentially an admission of law-breaking and crimes against humanity. U.S. unilateral sanctions have no legal or moral justification and hold the U.S. government responsible."

Baghaei added: "What is important is that regional countries make decisions based on their own interests and do not allow illegal pressures to affect their relations with the Iranian nation. We are in contact with Iraqi officials."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the killing of Alawites in Syria and continued: "In recent days, very unpleasant and tragic events have occurred in the western coastal areas of Syria. We strongly condemn such actions, and any violent acts or killings of civilians are unjustifiable."

He noted: "This is a very important and real test for the Syrian authorities to fulfill their duties, which is to protect the lives and property of all Syrians. We have expressed our concerns through appropriate channels to countries with influence and presence in Syria, and we hope the killings against various segments of the Syrian people will stop. Such actions will further complicate the security situation in Syria, and other parties who do not seek the good of the Syrian people or the region as a whole will exploit this situation to the fullest."

He stated: "Regarding the displacement of Gazans and the annexation of the West Bank, the position was clear, and any plan to displace Palestinians, whether inside or outside, has been firmly opposed and described as genocide."

Baghaei added: "These documents emphasize the provision of humanitarian aid and support for the Palestinian people. One of the tragic points in the document is that countries have emphasized helping the orphans of Gaza, which is truly heartbreaking. Over 40,000 people have lost their families during this period."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued: "This issue will continue, and the ambassadors of Islamic countries in New York have been given a specific mission to take actions to implement decisions and present specific resolutions to the United Nations for approval by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation."

In response to a question from the Mehr News Agency regarding the 2-month anniversary of the killing of 2 Iranian citizens in France, he said: "I appreciate the concern of the media. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers it its duty to protect the rights of Iranian citizens. These 2 Iranian citizens were killed in France about 3 months ago during an operation whose details are unclear to us. Basic judicial principles require that the judicial authorities of the relevant country investigate. We are following up, but it is not clear to us whether the judicial process has begun."

Baghaei added: "Unfortunately, we have learned that one of the Iranian citizens, a middle-aged woman and university professor, has gone missing, and we have not yet been able to obtain precise information. Yesterday, we spoke with the French embassy, and our consular section is following up, so we hope to obtain the necessary information."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to Iran's request at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting for collective sanctions against the Zionist regime and continued: "Regarding the cessation of any financial, military, and political support for the Zionist regime, this demand has been consistently raised by many Islamic countries over the past 2 years. The reason is clear, and if we accept that genocide is occurring in Gaza, including the cutting off of water and electricity, there is no doubt about it. In such cases, according to the Genocide Convention, countries have obligations to use all means to stop genocide."

He noted: "The first step is to stop sending weapons to the Zionist regime, which has not yet been achieved. The demand of Islamic countries, as stated in the resolution of the Jeddah meeting, is that countries must refrain from any trade relations with the regime. This is not only related to Islamic countries; 2 weeks ago, the African Union also mentioned this in its resolutions."

Baghaei, in response to a question about whether the bill supporting Iranians abroad has been finalized in the National Security Committee of the parliament and how helpful it is, added: "We have always considered our compatriots abroad as part of the larger Iranian community, and due to their shared love for the homeland, they are a significant capacity for helping the country's development and prosperity. This bill was proposed with this perspective. I think it will yield good results."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding Iran-China relations, stated: "Our relationship with China is very important and positive, with a long civilizational history. China is valuable for the positive and constructive role it has played in our region, and at the level of international organizations, China sees itself as part of the global South and developing world, taking steps toward the development of countries, which we hope will continue."

Regarding Iran's reaction to the escalation of separatism in the Balkans, he stated: "We highly value security and stability in the Balkan region and believe that the involved parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina should make greater efforts. We hope disagreements will be resolved through dialogue. We believe that external interventions have never been constructive and slow down internal dialogue processes."

Baghaei, regarding the lack of invitation to Iran for a meeting on Syrian developments, clarified: "We are aware of a meeting in which Syria's neighboring countries are participating. All parties who see themselves as having a role in Syrian developments have direct responsibility, and we hope they are aware of the consequences of their actions and reactions in Syria."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding accusations against Iran concerning Syrian developments, added: "These accusations are ridiculous and baseless, and pointing fingers at Iran and giving the wrong address is unhelpful. Such accusations will not help resolve the Syrian issue. What is important is that the killing of innocent people in Syria must stop as soon as possible."

Regarding Bloomberg's report on disruptive actions against ships, he stated: "The news agency you mentioned has repeatedly violated professional journalism principles, placing itself in a campaign of social deception about Iran and West Asia, producing and publishing false, biased news about regional and Iranian issues. This is completely unacceptable under international law and the UN Charter, and there is no basis for any disruptive actions against free trade and ships of countries in international waters. This is media manipulation. Iran's maritime trade is legitimate and legal, and we will continue our activities in accordance with international law."

Baghaei, regarding the summoning of the Swedish ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "The summoning of the Swedish ambassador was about inappropriate statements by a Swedish official regarding Iran's internal affairs, which were both interventionist and devoid of truth. Such views and approaches against Iran are unacceptable, and it was necessary to convey Iran's views and positions to the Swedish government."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding the Iraqi Electricity Minister's visit to Iran and the cancellation of Iraq's exemption for purchasing electricity from Iran, said: "What is clear is that Iran has always made decisions based on its national interests and mutual interests with partner and friendly countries. Based on the principle of national sovereignty and the tangible interests of the Iranian and Iraqi nations, both countries must prioritize each other's interests in any decision-making regarding their trade relations and not allow bullying and third-party interventions to affect their interests."

Regarding talks with 3 European countries, he added: "The European parties, as members of the JCPOA, along with Russia and China, who are also legally part of the JCPOA, are in talks with us. We will likely have an expert-level meeting with these countries in the near future."

Baghaei, regarding the Taliban government spokesperson's remarks on Iran-Afghanistan relations, said: "We are in constant dialogue with Afghan officials. We hope these talks, with mutual understanding, will lead to resolving issues. Certainly, neighbors must consider this approach in their relations with each other."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding U.S. interference in Iran's regional interactions, said: "Our situation is good. Regional countries value their national sovereignty and independence. Our relations with regional countries are good and growing. We and regional countries will certainly continue our interactions."

Regarding Iran's response to U.S. threats and Russia's stance on negotiations with the U.S., he said: "This issue has no basis. Negotiations under a bullying approach are fundamentally meaningless, and Iran has expressed its position very clearly."

Baghaei, regarding the IAEA's allegations against Iran's peaceful nuclear program and its comprehensive report, said: "We regret that the IAEA Director General repeats some politically motivated statements. This approach only fuels tensions and has no effect. These claims are sophistry. Under the NPT, there are no restrictions on enrichment. We have adhered to inspections, and the IAEA has acknowledged this. We have used 60% or higher enriched fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor in some cases. But exploiting alleged reports is unacceptable."

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding Iran-Germany relations, said: "Talks with 3 European countries are about one of the important issues with Europe, which is the nuclear issue. The focus of the talks is nuclear discussions. It is certainly not without effect, and this is a long-term channel between Iran and European parties. The new German government, based on its national interests and an independent view of regional developments and its relations with Iran, should make appropriate decisions. Some decisions made in recent months were not correct and were not in the interests of both countries. Especially the closure of institutions that facilitated people-to-people relations was not constructive, and we hope they reconsider their approaches. After a period without an ambassador in Germany, our ambassador has been dispatched, and the German ambassador is present in Tehran. We hope developments lead to improved bilateral relations."

Regarding talks with Europeans about the trigger mechanism, he said: "We see no justification for activating the trigger mechanism, and the parties are realizing that it cannot be used for their purposes. Our talks with Europeans will be held at the expert level by the end of March."