Baqaei: Iran blocked the inclusion of two divisive clauses on Yemen in the Baghdad statement

According to KurdPress, in his weekly press conference, Baghaei also explained Iran's relations with the Persian Gulf countries, the proposal to hold a joint regional meeting, the need to create a security mechanism independent of foreign pressures, Tehran's relations with Russia and China, the status of Iran and Pakistan's border crossings, and Iran's position on regional and international developments. Referring to the Yemen war, he warned that further intervention by Islamic countries in this crisis will complicate the situation.

The full text of the speech by Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the weekly press conference is as follows:

At the beginning of the press conference on Tuesday, October 19, Baghaei told the media: "We are decorating today's meeting with the names of two martyrs. Two mothers, two sisters, and two Iranian daughters were from the community of socially active women in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Matricide and fratricide are the worst crimes against a country and society."Dr. Nusrat Eftekhari and Afsaneh Aqila were active women in the province and mothers of several children who dedicated their lives to the advancement of society. I offer my condolences to the women, mothers, and daughters of Iran, especially the people of Sistan and Baluchestan, for the martyrdom of these two Iranian women.

He continued: "In the past two weeks, many activities have been carried out in the field of diplomacy, and the President had numerous meetings, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also participated in various meetings. At the same time, we may be experiencing tensions in the region, and it is necessary to mention the genocide in Gaza as our duty. The occupation of Palestine and the expansionism of the Zionist regime are the main causes of the problems in our region. The meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was very important in this regard, as an organization that was formed with the philosophy of supporting Palestine."Diplomacy is part of our defense and struggle

In response to the public question, “Given the experience of repeated breaches of treaties by the United States and the failure of the country’s ruling body to adhere to its commitments, what is the point of insisting on negotiations with this country and what is the benefit of negotiating with it? What path is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pursuing to end the war and create peace in the region?”, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “We do not insist on anything except securing Iran’s national interests. What is fundamental to us is protecting Iran’s national interests and security. Our concern and position is Iran; whether through diplomacy or through defense.”

He continued: “Regarding the United States, yes, this country’s record of breaching treaties is very clear. If you look at the last two years and then go back to 2018, you will see that this country has continuously violated its promises and agreements since then.”But we, as a diplomatic apparatus, are not allowed to fail in our duty simply because of the bitter experiences of the past. We are obliged to use every tool at our disposal to secure Iran’s national interests. In this framework, diplomacy itself is part of our defense and part of our struggle. We should not distinguish between the battlefield and struggle on the one hand and the field of diplomacy to achieve the rights of the Iranian nation on the other.

Baghaei noted: If we hesitate in advancing diplomacy, our own people and public opinion will definitely say that you were not serious and chose war. Therefore, if we give the slightest possibility that we may be able to prevent the escalation of tension through diplomacy, we must definitely follow this path.No discussion on enrichment in Iran during meeting of Iranian and Russian foreign ministers

In response to a question about rumors about Lavrov's visit to Tehran and the claim that the focus of the visit was on Iran-US talks and whether enrichment was discussed, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "No, we did not deviate from our principled positions at all. Because our positions are in line with Iran's national interests. Lavrov's visit is within the framework of continuous consultations between the two countries. This visit has been on the agenda of Bo for a long time.

He added: "During the meeting, our focus was on all issues that are in line with securing the national interests of the two countries, and it is natural to talk about regional issues, including Ukraine, the Persian Gulf, and ..., and the nuclear issue was also raised in these discussions. Russia has always stated that it will do everything it can to reduce tensions, and we appreciated Russia's positive and constructive approach on this issue."