📌 Tehran, IRNA – Iran is determined to use all its capabilities to repel any aggression against the country, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, stressing that the country’s operational experience in “three rounds of heroic defense” had strengthened its readiness to confront threats.
In an exclusive interview with Tunisia’s Al-Chourouk newspaper, Baqaei addressed regional developments, Iran’s consultations with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz and prospects for regional security arrangements independent of foreign powers.
On maritime security, Baqaei said Iran and Oman, as the two coastal states bordering the strategic Strait of Hormuz, had a special responsibility to ensure safe navigation through the waterway.
He said Iran had consistently considered the security of maritime traffic in the area its responsibility over past decades. However, he noted that the waterway, as well as the territory and facilities of regional countries, had been used in recent months to plan and carry out military aggression against Iran, including attacks on residential areas and the killing of civilians.
Baqaei said such developments could not be overlooked in future arrangements for managing the strait.
He added that Tehran and Muscat had continued consultations in recent months to establish safe routes for commercial vessels and had reached an understanding on a temporary safe passage route, with some implementation details still under discussion.
He stressed that the bilateral understanding on a safe route should not be confused with the reopening or overall status of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that any sustainable, long-term mechanism for managing and securing the waterway must be developed with the participation and agreement of Iran and Oman, while taking their sovereignty and security concerns into account.
Third-party interference should not disrupt the process, he added.
Addressing the prospect of closer regional coordination against foreign military presence, Baqaei said recent developments had offered important lessons to neighboring countries and members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.
He reiterated Iran’s position that regional security should be ensured by regional states themselves, stressing that the presence of foreign military powers had been a major source of insecurity.
Baqaei said Iran respected the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of regional countries and had no hostility toward its neighbors. He described good-neighborly relations, broader regional cooperation and the establishment of an indigenous security framework as longstanding principles of Iran’s foreign policy.
He said recent developments had created an opportunity for Persian Gulf countries to discuss the future of regional security from a more realistic perspective, without interference by powers from outside the region. Although such an arrangement would not emerge overnight, he added, continued dialogue and progress toward regional agreements were necessary steps.
Regarding the possibility of renewed confrontation with the US-Israeli alliance, Baqaei said Iran had consistently demonstrated its determination and capability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against aggression and threats.
He reaffirmed Tehran’s resolve to mobilize all available capabilities to counter hostile actions, citing the country’s experience in three rounds of heroic defense against foreign aggression as an additional source of operational preparedness.
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