Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said that national security and dignity cannot be traded or conditional, and that neither the inherent right to self-defence nor the means to exercise it can ever be subject to negotiation with any party.
Esmail Baghaei, writing on an X post, said Iran undoubtedly has a greater stake in the collective security of the region than any other party. He said it would be a contradiction in terms for the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council to imagine the solution to its security concerns lies in sheltering with the biggest violator of security, calling it a “bitter irony and a disappointing sign of failing to learn from recent painful experiences.”
Baghaei asked why Iran’s southern neighbours, in violation of good neighbourliness and fundamental international law, participated in the aggressive attack on a Muslim neighbour and allowed their territory to be used against Iran, including for missile launches. He questioned why they turn a blind eye to a destructive arms race involving the purchase and stockpiling of hundreds of billions of dollars in advanced weaponry with no defensive justification.
He further asked why they ignore repeated Israeli aggressions against regional countries and the occupation of Palestinian and Lebanese territory, and why they remain silent over the occupying regime’s nuclear arsenal, which is outside any international oversight, while Iran’s conventional defensive capability is labelled a threat.
“It must be clear to everyone that Iran’s military capabilities guarantee the inherent right of the Iranian nation to legitimate defence against aggression and crime, and at the same time provide peace and stability in the region,” Baghaei said.
