- 13 hours ago
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, discussed Tehran's response to US President Donald Trump's threats. He detailed the history of Tehran's diplomatic engagement with Washington, highlighting the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the assassination of IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani. He explained Iran's recent proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which the US rejected. Baghaei stated, "Blockade itself is a declaration of an act of war," attributing the current international maritime and energy crises, including those affecting India, to actions by the US and Israel. He also questioned why the disarmament of Israel's nuclear weapons is not part of global demands, noting Iran's compliance with the NPT. Addressing the possibility of a ground invasion by the US, Baghaei affirmed Iran's military readiness, warning, "We have no other choice other than fighting back ferociously." He emphasised that Iran is defending its homeland and international law against aggression.
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00:07This is an India Today global exclusive.
00:10The first international network to be speaking with the man who today has become a face of Iran's response to
00:19the world.
00:19He speaks for Iran and what Iran is doing.
00:23I have seen him walk across roads and people come up to him saying I hope you're doing well, I
00:30hope you're taking care, be safe.
00:33That's the impact Ismail Baghaia has had.
00:36He's the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Iran and today he will talk to us immediately
00:43after Iran's response to the US and President Trump's threats.
00:48Thank you so much for joining us.
00:49Thank you. Salaam.
00:50Salaam.
00:51Let's begin with the proposal.
00:54What was different?
00:55What were the problem areas when it comes to America's proposal?
01:00What was your counter offer and why has Trump said that it is totally unacceptable?
01:08Well, I think you have to put it in the context.
01:12We have been in diplomatic process with the United States for more than 10 years now.
01:22So we have started negotiations on nuclear issue as of 2012 and earlier, but 2012 was the beginning of a
01:35process that led to the formation of JCPOA in 2015.
01:39Then in 2018, the United States decided to unilaterally withdraw from the JCPOA.
01:46Iran waited for one long year, hoping that the European partners would somehow compensate for the US withdrawal.
01:55They didn't.
01:56So as of May 2019, Iran decided to scale back its commitment.
02:06Every two months, we decrease the level of our commitments.
02:13Again, giving the time, giving the opportunity to other parties to make it up.
02:20But they didn't.
02:22And if you remember, under the JCPOA, we agreed to the most robust verification and inspection regime by the IAEA.
02:33Iran was enriching less than 4%.
02:40But then the United States withdrew.
02:43During first Trump administration, we did everything to avoid a conflict.
02:50But still, they assassinated our great commander, Haj Qasem Soleimani.
02:57During the implementation of the JCPOA, the IAEA issued 15 consecutive reports and affirming Iran's impeccable performance.
03:10And then during second term administration, Trump administration, even though we didn't have any trust to the United States,
03:21out of our responsible approach and after many leaders across the region demanded that, please, give it another try.
03:31So we agreed to engage diplomatically with the United States through Oman, a friendly country, a professional mediator between Iran
03:41and the United States.
03:42But you remember what happened.
03:43In June 2000, I mean, last year, just in the midst of negotiations, they torpedoed the negotiating table.
03:54We had a war.
03:55And then they repeated again on 28 February.
04:00So this is the story of Iran-U.S. engagement on nuclear issue.
04:08After the war, after we managed to have this ceasefire, again we started this diplomatic process.
04:17And we exchanged some texts.
04:22We said that let's focus on priority number one, which is important for the whole region, important for the whole
04:32world economy.
04:34So let's focus on ending the war.
04:38Let's focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
04:42And you, the United States, stop maritime piracy against freedom of navigation.
04:50So basically this attempt was aimed at resolving the most immediate issue which is affecting international maritime, which is affecting
05:06the world economy.
05:07But unfortunately, the United States, I think it seems that they do not understand the importance of this opportunity.
05:14Look, we are talking about negotiations.
05:18Negotiations means give and take.
05:21Negotiations means being ready to recognize your interlocutors' demands and concerns.
05:30But if you think that negotiations is 100% satisfaction one-sidedly, that's not negotiations.
05:40That's imposition of your will.
05:42And it will not happen in any case.
05:44At least as far as Iran is concerned, you are not going to yield to their maximalist demands because we
05:53think it is basically unjust.
05:55It has been part of their unjust campaign.
05:59It was an unjust war, an unlawful aggression against Iran.
06:04So at this stage, they have declared that they cannot go along with Iran's proposal.
06:13But I guess we are going to receive more detailed assessment of the situation through Pakistani mediators.
06:22What was the difference?
06:24I mean, there have been too many rounds.
06:25So what were the differences over here when you saw the American proposal and you said, no, we want this
06:31included?
06:31So what is it that you included that he is saying totally unacceptable?
06:35As I said, basically, the difference is between the country, Iran, that says that as long as we are a
06:45member of NPT, we have to be able to use the prerogatives that are granted to Iran.
06:54The right to have nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
07:01And the other side, which says that, no, we are concerned about your nuclear program and they do not care
07:08about IAEA's reporting, reaffirming that Iran's nuclear program has been absolutely peaceful.
07:15And we have another actor in the region that for the past three decades has been talking about Iran's non
07:26-existing nuclear weapons.
07:28I agree.
07:31If countries recognize that each nation has their own vital national interest, I think that would be the beginning of
07:45a sort of compromise.
07:46Any negotiation needs a middle ground, a compromise.
07:50In this case, unfortunately, the American administrations do not think that they should agree with a middle ground, with a
08:00compromise that takes care of everyone's concerns and interests.
08:06What are Iran's red lines and what's the middle ground?
08:09In this proposal, are you looking at parting with the highly enriched uranium to a certain extent and keeping most
08:17that you require for your civil nuclear purposes?
08:20Look, at this stage, we have not gone into the details of our nuclear program because what's the logic?
08:29The logic is that we have talked about nuclear program two times in less than a year.
08:35And we were unable to come to a conclusion because of the United States' obsession with Iran's nuclear program.
08:44It was not Iran, by the way, that left the negotiating table, not only leaving the negotiating table, they just
08:51destroyed the negotiating table two times in less than nine months.
08:57So if we were unable to take care of the nuclear issue, and we tested it already.
09:02So let's focus on another issue, which is a matter of utmost concerns for the region and for the international
09:12community.
09:12And don't you think that this is the most responsible way of dealing with an international issue that Iran has
09:20taken?
09:21So we said let's focus on ending the war.
09:25And by ending the war, it means that let's take care of the issue of the Strait of Hormuz and
09:33also discontinuing this so-called blockade that the U.S. has imposed on Iran.
09:43And by the way, again, we have been in a nominal ceasefire.
09:49But, you know, under international law, blockade itself is a declaration of an act of war.
09:56So we have exercised maximum self-restraint in the face of U.S. continuing reneging of its commitments under the
10:05ceasefire.
10:07How do you see the war end? Do you see, and I'm talking about the Strait of Hormuz now, do
10:12you see America agree to removing the blockade and then Iran allowing energy supplies to the world?
10:20Because, like many countries, India is suffering, sir.
10:27Again, you have to see what happened as of 28 February.
10:31Before 28 February, the Strait of Hormuz was open and free to every country.
10:37What happened is that Iran was forced to take certain measures under international law.
10:43And I have to stress this, that what Iran did is allowed under international law.
10:50Because we had to face aggressors, the United States and Israel, who were abusing the soil of other states of
11:02the Persian Gulf to attack Iran.
11:04So that was absolutely unlawful. That was an act of aggression.
11:09So we had to fight back. We had to take measures in order to prevent these aggressors abuse this water
11:19lane for conducting their military aggression against Iran.
11:25It was not Iran's fault.
11:27And again, after we showed certain flexibility, you remember, after Minister Al-Raghji issued that tweet that the Strait of
11:37Hormuz would be open,
11:40then the President of the United States immediately said,
11:45thank you Iran for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but we are going to continue our blockade.
11:51So we are not happy about what is happening in India, in other countries.
11:57But this was caused by the United States and Israel.
12:01Don't you think that Iran is dependent upon this safe, this Strait more than any other country?
12:11Because we are a coastal state. We want to see security and safety in this water lane.
12:18But the problem is that the United States and Israel initiated this war of aggression.
12:24And they inflicted these consequences over the whole economy.
12:30So they have to, they have to really be, hold accountable by the whole international community for what they started
12:37and still they are continuing.
12:38Well, the US President has not only called this proposal by Iran totally unacceptable, he's threatened you again.
12:49How is Iran looking at this? What is your assessment and reading?
12:54Are we looking at another imminent attack by Israel and the US?
12:59And I say this because Prime Minister Netanyahu also in an interview said that it's not over yet.
13:04Of course, they are happy because they were able to drag the United States into this war.
13:10And this is not me saying that this is in accordance with the State Department's statement,
13:15that we had to come to this war in support of our ally Israel.
13:20And they also said that this is an exercise of their right of self-defense.
13:24This is absurd because they were not attacked by Iran.
13:27So if you want to exercise your right of self-defense, you need to be attacked by another country.
13:35The other point is that the United States is excessively, I mean, they have this excessive fascination with their military
13:50might, with their military power.
13:52And that's unprecedented in terms of violating every norms and principles of international law.
14:03By threatening Iran, they are continually violating the United Nations Charter.
14:10But as far as our armed forces are concerned, we are prepared for every scenario.
14:20We have no other choice other than fighting back ferociously.
14:24And we have shown it during June last year, during this recent warfare, because this is an unjust war.
14:34And Iranian people are determined or united in defending their homeland against these aggressors.
14:40Well, it is quite interesting, you know, because we keep talking about this, that Iran is isolated and the West
14:45puts that out all the time.
14:47But what we are looking at and the conversations that your minister is having with his counterparts, your president is
14:53having with his counterparts,
14:54and how President Trump has had hardly any help from any quarter.
14:59It looks more like Iran is not the isolated country here.
15:03Of course we are not.
15:05America is a tad bit isolated.
15:08We are very proud that we are defending our homeland.
15:12And it is not only defending Iran.
15:15It is defending humanity, basic norms of international law against this wave of lawlessness.
15:26Who are we fighting with?
15:29We are fighting with a system that is wanted by ICC for committing genocide.
15:39We are fighting in defense of our homeland against a system that has been calling for the annihilation of the
15:50whole civilization.
15:51Can you imagine that the United States is calling for the wiping of Iran, of the map?
15:58So basically, I think this is not only a national resistance, a national defense against the bullies of the world,
16:10but it is in defense of common human values that the human civilization has been standing for for millennia.
16:20So that is why I think the public opinion across the globe is so sympathetic to Iran's cause.
16:35Speaking of consequences, what would the status of the Strait of Hormuz be should the war end, whatever it is,
16:42because it is a shared state between Oman and Iran.
16:45So what is the status then going to be? Is Iran forever going to change how the Strait of Hormuz
16:50looks or used to look?
16:53We are a coastal state, along with Oman, and we have every responsibility to ensure safe passage through these straits.
17:05We have done it before. And now, having this bad experience, seeing that this water lane being abused by the
17:20aggressors to harm Iran's national security and national interest,
17:24I think we need to devise certain measures to make sure that that would not repeat it.
17:31That doesn't mean controlling the Strait of Hormuz. We are compliant with our international obligation under international law. We are
17:41a responsible state.
17:42Does Iran consider Israel a nuclear state? And if so, why is disarmament of Israel's nuclear weapons not a part
17:51of any of the deals or any of the conversation?
17:54I think that's a pertinent question. There is no doubt that Israel is the only actor in our region that
18:03is not part of the NPT.
18:05And basically, that is the sad irony that Israel is advocating for removal of Iran's nuclear facilities from Iran out
18:24of their alleged concern about Iran's nuclear program.
18:27While Iran has been a member of the NPT, do you know that Iran was one of the first countries
18:32that joined NPT as of 1970?
18:38Iran was the first and only country in 1974 that advocated for the Middle East free from nuclear weapons.
18:45So the only obstacle to realizing, to materializing this ideal of Middle East free from nuclear weapons is the Israeli
19:00regime.
19:00And the United States is backing such a regime that has been the only proliferator of WMD in the region.
19:12We have not been seeking nuclear weapons. That has been a very clear and transparent position of Iran.
19:22But I think the request for disarming Israel, for removing its nuclear programs, for making sure that its nuclear activities
19:36be under the supervision of the IAEA, must be a global demand.
19:41And I think the countries of the region and beyond have always been calling for that.
19:48Right now, the conference on, I think the annual conference of NPT is being held in New York.
20:00And that demand is one of the permanent calls by the whole international community.
20:11But every time, that demand has been blocked by the United States.
20:17FIFA tournament, is that something that Iran is going to participate because you know the countries that you will have
20:23to visit or your team will have to visit?
20:24Are you okay with that? Are you okay with that? And is America okay with that?
20:28Unfortunately, sports, including football and the World Cup, have been badly politicized against, because of the United States' obsession with
20:46unilateralism.
20:49The other day, they stopped some of our teams, members, technical members of our team from entering Canada that was
21:02against the rules and regulation of FIFA.
21:06So, here, we regard FIFA responsible for taking care of everything, to making sure that Iranian football team, Iranian national
21:18team, can have their, can go to their game without impediments, without obstacles.
21:29Necessary preparations are being done, but we have to make final decisions in the coming few days.
21:39Okay. And when it comes to India, energy crisis is a huge problem.
21:47Prime Minister Modi is headed to the UAE.
21:48We were here just across the building with Mr. Raochi last time when Prime Minister Modi was in Israel, and
21:56now he's in the UAE.
21:58Energy crisis for India is a major thing. How is Iran looking at these visits?
22:05We have very good bilateral relations with India. We have many commonalities.
22:12Throughout history, Iran and India have been in good terms together. Diplomatically, we are in a constant engagement.
22:29What is happening in our region, as I said, it's part of the consequences of the war imposed on Iran
22:38and on the region.
22:39And I think India recognizes this fact that Iran, a sovereign member of the United Nations, has been unjustly attacked
22:49by two nuclear-armed regimes.
22:52And I think no one can ignore these very clear facts.
23:00When it comes to India's bilateral relations with other countries, it's up to India to decide.
23:07Our relations with other countries have always had nothing to do against India.
23:14Final question to you. Is Iran prepared for a ground invasion? Should America plan one?
23:19Because analysts, such as Professor Morandi, have been saying that that's exactly what America is planning.
23:25I can assure you that our armed forces are prepared for every scenario.
23:31I'm sure that anyone who dares to put their foot in Iran's territory, they would be badly regretted.
23:39Mr. Esmail Bagai, thank you so much for joining us on this network and speaking to us on the day
23:46that Iran and America probably are going to decide whether there's going to be a next round or not.
23:52Thank you so much.
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