Iran says US only tries to protect Israel, does not care about regional countries

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says the security of regional states does not matter to the United States as it only makes utmost efforts to protect the Israeli regime.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Baghaei said the US does not care at all about the welfare, security and peace of regional countries and that’s why regional nations should learn lessons from the developments in the past few days.

He added that developments in the past days proved that the US military presence in the region does not bring security and stability but only spreads insecurity, causes rifts among regional countries and fuels discord among them.

The Iranian spokesperson once again called on all countries in the region to not allow the US to abuse their territory and facilities, saying, “This demand is not just based on the principle of neighborliness but made on the basis of a known principle in international law.”

The US and the Israeli regime launched a joint military aggression on Iran on February 28 some eight months after they attacked the country in June last year.

Both attacks came as Tehran was in the midst of diplomatic talks with Washington over its peaceful nuclear program.

Iran has repeatedly reiterated its commitment to respect the territorial integrity of all its neighbors under its policy of good neighborliness.

However, it warns that if American terrorists utilize the soil, airspace, or facilities of neighboring countries to launch attacks against Iran, those countries will be considered legitimate targets for Iran.

No legal justification for US Navy’s attack on Iran’s Frigate Dena

Baghaei said US military aggression on Iran’s Frigate Dena, which was miles away from the Persian Gulf region, constitutes a crime and has no justification as per international law.

He added that the US attack was a violation of The Hague Convention and the London Statement regarding the urgency to support and rescue ships damaged at sea and a breach of Article 10 of Additional Protocol to the 1977 Convention.

He noted that Iran has notified relevant international organizations of the US violations and will follow the necessary legal measures in this regard.

The attack occurred hundreds of miles across the Indian Ocean - off the southern coast of Sri Lanka - away from the Persian Gulf, where a US-Israeli military coalition has been striking Iran in an unprovoked war of aggression.

Frigate IRIS Dena was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine on Wednesday.

According to Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister, it was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port.

In a statement on Sunday, Iran’s Army said a total of 136 personnel were abroad the frigate, 104 of whom lost their lives and 32 others injured.

It added that the ship was returning home after participating in the “Milan 2026” naval exercise, a multinational maritime drill in India, when the Navy of the criminal US carried out the attack on March 4.

US missiles launched from residential areas of neighboring countries: Tehran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says US uses residential areas of neighboring countries to launch missile strikes against Iran, jeopardizing regional security.

Iran’s Armed Forces committed to humanitarian principles, morality

The spokesman emphasized that Iran has previously announced and proved in practice that the country’s Armed Forces remain committed to humanitarian principles and rules and morality.

However, he said, the opposite side has targeted Iranian civilians, including innocent children, in various cities since the outbreak of the war.

Baghaei added that the attacks on oil storage facilities and an oil production transfer center in Tehran and the province of Alborz were a crime against humanity and the environment and can even be listed as a genocidal crime as its consequences could have impacts on the next generations.

The US-Israeli joint airstrikes targeting Iranian oil infrastructure on Saturday mark a shift from earlier focuses on military and nuclear sites to economic targets, aiming to disrupt Iran's revenue and logistics.

Reports indicate that the attacks have caused significant fires, environmental concerns, and casualties. Thick choking black smoke hangs over Tehran after the attacks.

US audacity, irresponsibility, crimes, and killings ‘abhorrent’ and clear to evryone

Baghaei slammed US President Donald Trump’s lies in dealing with the Iranian nation and said the true meaning of “US help for Iran” is now clear to everyone.

He slammed the US “audacity, irresponsibility, crimes and killings of humans” as abhorrent.This is a war between a side that seeks domination, destruction and massacre while Iran, on the other side, resists strongly in order to protect human dignity and its people in the face of the most vicious acts, he emphasized.

Iran fired no missile into Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus

The spokesperson also rejected claims about Iran’s attacks on Turkey, Azerbaijan and Cyprus, saying the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has announced that the country has not fired any missile into the three countries.

“We insist on maintaining relations based on neighborliness and friendship. The continuation of cordial ties based on mutual respect, including respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries is a principle for Iran,” Baghaei emphasized.

However, if regional countries’ soil is used to carry out an act of aggression against Iran and the Iranian nation or to destroy national assets, the Islamic Republic has an inherent right to self-defense in accordance with international law, he pointed out.

He said Iran invites all countries to exercise patience and avoid any prejudgment, warning that hasty policies will not be beneficial to friendly ties among regional countries.

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