Iran Vows Equal, Stronger Strike Response, Slams US ‘Illusion’
At his weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed the idea that the US could hit Iran without consequences as an “illusion.” He rejected claims that Washington had sent a message premised on Iran refraining from a response, saying Tehran had already shown it would not let a military strike go unanswered.
“If our response is not stronger, it will certainly be equal in force,” he said.
Baqaei stressed that the period in which the US could attack and walk away unscathed was over. His comments followed claims about a possible US attack on Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang) in Iran.
No nuclear negotiations
Tehran has not entered nuclear negotiations with Washington, Baqaei said, so it has no details of such talks to share with Russia or other countries.
“We have not entered nuclear negotiations with the American side to discuss their details with other parties,” he said.
He dismissed speculation that Iran had softened its nuclear stance, insisting Tehran remained committed to its principles and national interests.
Baqaei described the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Tehran as part of routine consultations between the two countries, planned months in advance. He said the talks addressed bilateral ties and regional and international developments, including the Caucasus, Europe, the Ukraine conflict, the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Russia, he noted, played an important role in the negotiations that produced the 2015 nuclear agreement and remains willing to help ease tensions.
Diplomacy still on the table
Despite deep, long-running distrust of Washington, Tehran will keep pursuing diplomatic openings, Baqaei said. He accused the US of repeatedly breaking its commitments, including after it pulled out of the 2015 agreement in 2018. Even so, he said, Iran’s diplomatic institutions cannot walk away from negotiations solely because of past experience.
“If there is even the slightest possibility that diplomacy can prevent an escalation of tensions, we must pursue that path,” he said.
He added that Iran’s priority remains protecting its national interests and security, whether by diplomatic or military means.
Iran rejects OIC resolution on Yemen
Baqaei also rejected a resolution adopted at a meeting of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers in Baghdad that voiced solidarity with Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. Iran formally opposed the measure, he said, and does not regard it as a valid OIC decision, citing what he called a failure to follow the body’s procedural rules.
Tehran also blocked two paragraphs on Yemen from the meeting’s final declaration, he said, arguing their wording would deepen divisions among Muslim countries. He said the Saudi-Yemen conflict should be settled through dialogue and reconciliation, not military force.
“The issue of Yemen cannot be resolved through force and military means,” he said.
He urged neighboring states to stop foreign powers from using their territory and military facilities to threaten or attack other countries, calling this essential to lasting regional security and good-neighborly relations.
The spokesperson further blamed Israel’s policies and territorial expansion for fueling instability in the region. He said the war in Gaza had not ended Palestinian suffering and repeated Tehran’s criticism of US and European backing for Israel.
On Iran’s border with Pakistan, Baqaei said Tehran and Islamabad are working to resolve problems stemming from its closure. Pakistani officials, he said, told Iran that technical issues and system upgrades caused the disruption. He voiced confidence the matter would be settled.
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