In an interview with IRNA on Wednesday, Baqaei expanded on the recent statements made by Morgan Ortagus, the US deputy special envoy for the Middle East.
Ortagus had claimed that Washington is “extending the hand of diplomacy” towards Iran. Earlier, during a UN Security Council briefing on nonproliferation, she said that the US remains open to discussions with Iran regarding a new nuclear deal. However, she emphasized that the Trump administration will not permit uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.
“We’d like to make it clear to the entire world: the United States remains available for formal talks with Iran, but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue. Direct and meaningful,” she added.
Baqaei emphasized that the statements made by the US representative are neither a “proposal” nor a diplomatic action, but rather a repetition of excessive demands that have no basis or logic within the framework of international law and the non-proliferation regime. He pointed out that the Islamic Republic is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and its right to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, is an inalienable right.
He described the US representative’s remarks as a strategy of “escape forward,” asserting that the US must be held accountable for its clear violations of law and its aggressive actions against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.
Baqaei added that the US rhetoric about diplomacy and negotiation is primarily a propaganda tactic intended to mislead the public. He noted that, unlike Iran, which has consistently engaged in meaningful diplomacy, the US has demonstrated neither goodwill nor seriousness.
He referred to two significant dates, June 13 and June 15, 2025, highlighting that Iran was in the midst of negotiations when the US, along with the genocidal occupying regime, invaded Iranian territory and initiated violence against its citizens. He acknowledged that, despite this criminal aggression, they witnessed the heroic and powerful response of the Iranians.
Baqaei characterized the US representative’s comments regarding the Trump administration’s offer of diplomacy to Tehran as an attempt to distort reality, emphasizing that Iran did not abandon negotiations; rather, the process was undermined by the US’s use of force. “We are not discussing a historical event from several centuries ago. The US’s betrayal of diplomacy happened just a few months ago and is a recent occurrence. Were the continuous bad-faith actions, including the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, initiated by Iran? Was the attack on Iran on June 13—while negotiations were ongoing and the sixth round was scheduled for June 15—an example of this supposed extended hand for diplomacy?”
In response to a question about the Foreign Ministry’s stance on the proposed meeting regarding Resolution 2231, as well as the statements made by representatives of the European Troika regarding the reinstatement of UN Security Council sanctions and the need for Iran to demonstrate transparency about its nuclear program, Baqaei said that this meeting exemplifies the bad faith and disregard shown by its conveners towards the UN Charter and the Security Council’s operating procedures.
He added, “Resolution 2231 includes a clear termination clause that explicitly specifies its expiry date. According to operative paragraph 8, all provisions of Resolution 2231 expired on October 18, 2025. From that date, the Security Council no longer has the authority to review Iran’s nuclear issue. Additionally, the Secretary-General is not mandated to submit reports, nor can the Security Council hold any meetings or discussions under the non-proliferation agenda. Consequently, this agenda item has been removed from the Council’s agenda.”
Baqaei further noted, “The meeting of the Council yesterday was merely a political maneuver by Britain, France, and Germany to suggest the continuation of Resolution 2231 and to legitimize their illegal actions of reinstating rescinded resolutions. The opposing views of most countries demonstrate the failure of this attempt.”
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