TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has stressed that Tehran bases its decisions on national interests and will not bow to Washington’s dictates or attempts to impose its excessive demands.
Speaking at a weekly press conference on Tuesday, Baghaei offered condolences over the martyrdom of three Iranians in the U.S. attack on Larak Island.
Asked about the ministry’s “approach and view regarding the current status of negotiations with the United States,” Baghaei said that the ministry assesses developments and expresses its views based on the country’s interests and national considerations, and ultimately will act in accordance with whatever is decided by the competent authorities.
Baqhaei acknowledged that the U.S. officials are confused in their approaches and statements, but said this would not cause Iran to neglect its own capabilities.
“We will use the tools of diplomacy wherever necessary to explain our positions and secure the rights of the Iranian nation,” he said.
Baghaei added that Pakistan and several other countries are continuing efforts to de-escalate tensions and end the war, while Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Iran as part of Islamabad’s role as a friendly and neighboring country and presented his views. He stressed that Iran’s constant criterion is safeguarding its national interests.
The spokesperson said that the U.S. attack was not something new for Iran, noting that Washington has repeatedly carried out acts of aggression under various pretexts and received the necessary response.
He further noted that these actions reflect U.S. ill intent and confusion, stemming from its excessive demands and its mistaken belief that negotiations mean dictating terms—an approach that will not work with Iran. “We must remain fully vigilant against enemy moves, and any aggression will be met with a response,” he added.
Baghaei said that the U.S. must be held accountable for its blatant violation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, adding that Iran will decide how to proceed based on circumstances. For now, he said, the focus is on defense and resistance against the U.S.’s excessive demands.
Baghaei also decried the European Union for abandoning its sovereignty and legal obligations by supporting Washington’s unlawful economic measures against Iran.
In a post on X, Baghaei contrasted the EU’s current stance with its 1996 adoption of the Blocking Statute to counter the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions, questioning how the bloc can now endorse unilateral coercive measures against Iran.
“The EU appears to be surrendering its sovereignty, its laws & regulations, its values and its ethics
 to American coercion,” the spokesman wrote.
“Under its own legislation, the European Union shall not recognize the extraterritorial application of laws adopted by third countries and regards such effects as contrary to international law. The EU Blocking Statute expressly prohibits EU operators from complying with any requirement or prohibition based on the specified foreign statutes,” he added.
“How, then, can the Union now support the most predatory and unlawful unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) against Iran?” Baghaei asked.
“Contrast this with 1996, when the EU resolved to act independently in defense of its sovereignty against the American sanctions regime and adopted the Blocking Statute. Today it has become an accessory to Washington’s lawless conduct,” the Iranian spokesman stated.
“The Union’s endorsement of America’s unlawful economic war constitutes a grave violation of international law, too. Every EU member state shall be held accountable for the consequences of its contribution to this wrongful act,” he noted.
“The European Union cannot endorse Washington’s economic terrorism against Iran while claiming to seek de-escalation and regional stability. The two positions are mutually exclusive. This irresponsible stance is evidence of the EU’s moral decay and political incompetence,” Baghaei said.