TEHRAN -- Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday rejected U.S. calls for the international community to condemn Tehran over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington is “playing the victim” after launching an unlawful war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
The statement, posted on his X account, responded to remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called for global condemnation of Iran for allegedly sowing insecurity in the Persian Gulf.
Baghaei said it is the United States that initiated the joint aggression against Iran with Israel, assassinated the country’s leaders, carried out massacres of civilians, imposed harsh sanctions, and then withdrew from a June agreement aimed at ending the war.
He said Washington is clearly trying to “evade responsibility” by presenting itself as the accuser rather than the aggressor and portraying Iran as the culprit rather than the victim.
“The world is paying the price of your unlawful aggression through regional instability and global economic insecurity,” he said in the post. “You cannot launch a war of choice, set the region ablaze, unleash global chaos, and then play the victim.”