Iran: Defense power not up for talks; Armed Forces fully prepared to defend nation

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says Iran's defensive capabilities are designed primarily to deter any attack by aggressors and are not up for negotiations.

Baghaei was speaking at his weekly press conference on Monday, in response to a question about the rhetoric by the Israeli and American media regarding the possibility of a new act of military aggression against Iran under the pretext of its missile program.

"The defensive capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran are designed to deter aggressors from thinking of attacking Iran and are by no means up for negotiation,” he said.

He added that Iran has developed its missile program to defend its integrity.

He slammed the “blatant hypocrisy and double standards” vis-à-vis Iran’s missile program meant to portray it as a “threat”, adding that, at the same time, lethal weapons and even weapons of mass destruction are being funneled into the Israeli-occupied territories to be used in the regime's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

Baghaei emphasized that Iran’s Armed Forces are well-equipped to defend the country when necessary.

“Therefore, regardless of these malicious media campaigns, the Iranian nation, the Armed Forces, and all branches of the government will continue their path with a focus on their duties,” the spokesman pointed out.

On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked war against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

More than a week later, the United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the illegal assault.

Israel has long history of 'false flag' operations: Baghaei

Baghaei further pointed to Israel’s long history of architecting and executing “false flag operations” and said the regime spares no effort to advance its goals through “inhumane means.”

He was responding to a question about Israel's allegation that Iran had a role in the murder of an MIT nuclear physics professor.

He stressed the need to expose such practices and disseminate precise information about the Israeli regime’s actions and crimes.

“The Zionist regime, due to its long history of murder, slaughter, and the assassination of citizens of other countries, naturally seeks to find a culprit whenever an incident occurs,” Baghaei said.

Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, was shot Monday night at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died at a local hospital on Tuesday.

The Jerusalem Post said that an Israeli investigation was launched against the backdrop of Loureiro’s field of research in energy and nuclear physics, apparently trying to link the death to Iran.

The alleged investigation, however, has not been officially verified nor is it supported by any findings from US investigators, the newspaper said.

There is also no clear evidence so far linking Loureiro’s murder to Iran, sources told the paper.

'US, Israel accountable for supporting Daesh terrorists'

When asked about a resurgence of the Daesh terrorist group in some parts of the region and the world, Baghaei said the United States and the Israeli regime must be held accountable for their support for terrorism and Daesh and its repercussions.

He added that the US, Israel and some parties have supported terrorism and Daesh terrorists by acting irresponsibly and paying no heed to the consequences of their actions.

"The persistence of the Zionist regime’s crimes, the constant attacks against Syria and efforts by this regime and its supporters to turn Syria into a failed state and a fragmented country are all directly contributing to the expansion and reproduction of terrorism,” the Iranian spokesman emphasized.

He further said there is no doubt that Israel has imposed “heavy financial and reputational costs” on the US not only for years but for decades.

He noted that regional nations have reached an understanding that Israel’s measures, whether against the occupied Palestine or against neighboring countries, are directly supported and endorsed by the US.

'US complicit in Israel’s crimes'

The US is complicit in Israel’s crimes and it should bear the consequences of the Tel Aviv regime’s actions, he said.

"The Zionist regime has succeeded in advancing its wars at the expense of the US and consequently involving the US in a cycle of endless wars and constant hostility with regional nations,” Baghaei emphasized.

He added that the public opinion in the US and the West is gradually becoming aware of this high cost.

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