Iran Says European States Must Be Accountable for Backing US Aggression

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that European countries that provided their territory or facilities for US and Israeli attacks on Iran must be held accountable. Speaking in a radio interview, Baghaei explained the reasons and main axes of a recent meeting between the Iranian foreign minister and foreign ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions and international organisations resident in Tehran. He said the meeting was held after returning from the annual UN General Assembly session in New York, describing it as customary to brief diplomats in Tehran on the country's positions and key issues raised during the delegation's trip.

Baghaei noted the special circumstances of this year's trip, saying attendance at the General Assembly was doubly important because it was Iran's first presence after what he called the Iranian people's epic defence of their country. He said it was necessary to display Iran's logic and authority before public opinion and the international community. Both the president's speech and more than 60 high-level meetings by the president and foreign minister with heads of state, foreign ministers and senior officials of international organisations created a suitable platform to explain the country's oppression and its authority in safeguarding national security and Iran's existence, he added.

On the legal pursuit of the role of European countries in the military aggression, Baghaei described one of the key axes of the meeting with diplomats in Tehran as explicit demands from European capitals. He said the NATO secretary-general had recently admitted for the umpteenth time that territory, facilities and military bases stationed in European countries were used to prepare and design what he called the illegal and aggressive attacks of the United States and the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Baghaei said this issue has been recorded as part of the historical record and showed that Iranians stood at the same time against two evil armies and a large number of their supporting countries, which demonstrates the epic glory of the Iranian people's resistance.

Baghaei stressed that every single European country that placed its soil or facilities at the disposal of the attackers must be accountable for its actions, because this act is a clear example of participation and complicity in committing the crime of international aggression and resorting to force against an independent country and UN member state. He said these cases have been documented, and in yesterday's meeting the foreign minister discussed this issue in detail with the ambassadors.

On the diplomatic consultations in New York, Baghaei said that after the threatening and contemptible speech of the American president, the Iranian president's speech was the best opportunity for a reasoned response and a display of Iran's authority on the world stage, which he described as a historic speech. On Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan's visit to Tehran, Baghaei said the visit is being conducted within the framework of the neighbourhood strategy and strengthening ties with the countries of the South Caucasus. During this visit, detailed negotiations will be held on following up and implementing past high-level agreements between the two countries, as well as exchanging views and coordinating on the latest developments in the South Caucasus. According to Mehr News, Baghaei made these remarks in a radio interview on Monday.