Iran in state of war, will not hesitate to defend itself, says FM spokesman Baghaei

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the country is in a state of war and will not hesitate to exercise its inherent and inalienable right to defense. Speaking at his weekly press briefing, he emphasized that Iran's Armed Forces harbor not the slightest hesitation in defending the country with all its might. "We are in a state of war and we will certainly not hesitate in exercising our inherent and inalienable rights to defense," Baghaei said.

On regional developments, Baghaei stated that Iran is monitoring the situation closely with strength and intelligence and has prepared for any scenarios. Regarding the Knesset elections in Israel and Israeli officials' narrative about a possible preemptive move by Iran to disrupt the electoral process, he said, "I do not believe there is an 'election' taking place there. What exists is a rivalry between various factions vying to commit even greater acts of malice." He added that it makes no difference to Iran who leads a regime whose track record has brought violence and slaughter to the region, and that the regime is skilled at conducting "false flag" operations.

Baghaei confirmed that Tehran is hosting officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, an initiative proposed during Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir's visit to Tehran. He said the meeting could serve as a foundation for further initiatives, and that for years Iran has maintained that regional security cannot be realized without the involvement of regional countries. Discussions are expected during the officials' meetings with the President and the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. He noted this is the initial session and its agenda remains to be studied, and that such a meeting cannot be considered without taking into account the consequences stemming from acts of aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime.

Regarding US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks calling for Cuban cooperation toward "positive change" and the overthrow of the Cuban government, Baghaei said, "We are witnessing a reactionary trend and a return to classical colonialism." He added that whereas the Americans during the peak of their influence in Latin America at least attempted to maintain a degree of secrecy, they now openly incite other nations to change their own governments. Baghaei also stated it is necessary to express solidarity with the people of Cuba, who face difficult conditions due to the blockade and illegitimate sanctions imposed by the United States. He noted that Cuba possesses neither nuclear weapons nor anything else that would justify such pressures, yet has faced severe US sanctions for seven decades. According to Mehr News, the briefing was held on Monday and the report was being updated.