Iran: We will respond immediately, forcefully to any new adventure by US, Israel
According to the Iranian Mehr News Agency, Baghaei said in an interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo on Wednesday that Brazil was very clear in condemning the unlawful use of force against Iran; this is a natural principle that Brazil and like-minded countries should continue to adhere to, otherwise we cannot be sure that the international system based on the UN Charter will continue to survive
Baghaei added that people seem to have become more hopeful compared to before the war and have greater motivation for steadfastness, endurance, and resistance, and in my opinion this was one of the positive aspects of the war, as the United States and Israel made Iranians realize the extent of their capabilities in uniting and coalescing against any external aggression
He continued that this war was imposed on Iran without any justification and constituted an aggressive act without any prior action, and another important point, not only for Iranians but also for the region and the world, is that Iran was in the midst of negotiations when it was attacked; we were in the middle of a diplomatic path and we were attacked
Baghaei stressed that no one can accuse Iran of being rigid, inflexible, or failing to do what was necessary to resolve differences through negotiation; we did all of that, and as you recall, we were supposed to hold the sixth round of negotiations in June when they attacked Iran
He added that in Geneva we had agreed to hold a technical discussions meeting regarding a possible nuclear agreement in Vienna, but just two days before that, they started this aggressive war, and so people realized that the United States was not really serious from the beginning in the negotiations. He said I know it is difficult for mainstream Western media to accept this truth because for five decades they have been subjected to negative stereotypes, being told that Iranians support terrorism, violate human rights, and do not act as rational actors
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said I think during the past two years it has become clear to everyone that it is the United States that does not act rationally. And if you recall, in the first term of the current administration, US President Trump did the same thing, unilaterally withdrawing from the nuclear deal (JCPOA), imposing a maximum pressure campaign through sanctions against Iran, assassinating our hero General Qasem Soleimani, and doing everything in his power to subdue Iran
He continued that Trump tried to reimpose UN sanctions in the UN Security Council, and during that period the Europeans had the courage to resist the misuse of the Security Council, but this time they could not or were unable to do so
Baghaei stated that I think this is part of a very dangerous path the world is witnessing today, as we see a kind of normalization of breaking the law and bullying behavior, and we cannot talk about international law, laws of war, or international humanitarian law, while some say let us get rid of these silly laws of conflict, or when they targeted an elementary school in the city of Minab (southern Iran) as they targeted many historical and cultural sites, hospitals, and residential areas
He continued this means we are heading towards a stage where the normative framework established after World War II is on the verge of collapse; a situation comparable to before World War II, when Mussolini-led Italy attacked Ethiopia, and the League of Nations could not resist, and that was the beginning of its collapse
He went on to say this time as well, unfortunately, the Security Council could not acknowledge the truth, which is that the United States and Israel attacked Iran and label both as aggressors, and under Chapter VII, the Security Council was legally and morally obligated to state the truth as it is, but instead, after Bahrain and several other countries submitted a draft resolution, Iran was condemned
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that I believe the entire international community, every UN member, is legally obligated to take a firm stance against this aggressive act, otherwise these patterns will repeat in different forms. Even in the Western hemisphere you have the same problem when the United States attacked Venezuela under the pretext of fighting drugs, or when it began its pressure and sanctions policies against Cuba, explicitly declaring that it seeks regime change in that country, and threatened other Latin American countries
Baghaei affirmed that all countries, if they truly believe in the international system based on the rule of law and the principles of the UN Charter, must cooperate with each other