Baqaei: We Are Not Sure that the United States is Serious about Diplomacy

SAEDNEWS: “Esmaeil Baqaei,” spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with Al Jazeera English, explained the dimensions and consequences of the military aggression by the Zionist regime and the accompanying role of the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The full interview follows.

Interviewer:
President Trump insists that Tehran’s nuclear program has been completely destroyed. He said: "The U.S. strike was a flawless operation that destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities." What is your response to this claim? What is your initial assessment of the damage to your nuclear facilities?

Baqaei:
In my opinion, what matters—and should not be overshadowed by the United States’ nice words and varied positions—is the fact that we have witnessed a deadly blow to international law, the NPT regime, and the ethics of the international community. Therefore, the most important issue is that the world must understand that the U.S. military attacks were acts of aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty. That is the core of the matter.

Interviewer:
Understood. But when the U.S. president says Iran’s nuclear program has been completely destroyed, do you reject or accept this claim?

Baqaei:
What I must say is that Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy remains intact. Under the NPT, Article 4, Iran has the full right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and Iran is determined to maintain this right under any circumstances.

Interviewer:
Can you tell us what remains of Iran’s nuclear program and uranium reserves? Was Iran able to save part of its uranium stockpile before the U.S. bombing?

Baqaei:
As I said, I think these are secondary issues. The main concern of the international community should be to condemn the illegal U.S. action. I believe it is a very bad sign that many people worldwide try to downplay the depth and seriousness of the U.S. aggression against Iran, and now they talk about the level of attacks or their impact. The world must understand that what the U.S. did to Iran was a horrific blow to international diplomacy, international law, and international ethics.

Interviewer:
I want to emphasize that the IAEA has requested Iran to allow nuclear inspectors on-site now that a ceasefire with Israel is in place. However, I understand Iran is considering suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear agency. Can you tell us why you do not allow inspectors to verify facts on site?

Baqaei:
Do you not think it is completely natural for representatives of a nation that has been overtly attacked to reconsider their approach to the IAEA? This plan reflects the will of a people whose country has been unjustly assaulted. Yes, our parliament has proposed—and approved—a plan that talks about suspending cooperation with the IAEA. It speaks about suspension, not ending cooperation, with two conditions: first, that Iran’s undeniable rights under the NPT, Article 4, must be recognized; and second, that the security and safety of our nuclear facilities, scientists, and people must be ensured. So I think this is quite logical—this is a matter of logic and law—because if we are to be responsible members of the NPT, we must be able to enjoy the rights granted to all member states under this treaty.

Interviewer:
You mentioned the NPT and also spoke about considering suspending Iran’s participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Is this seriously being considered? Will Iran withdraw from the NPT after this war?

Baqaei:
As I said, the parliament’s plan discusses suspending our cooperation with the IAEA. It does not speak about suspending participation or membership in the treaty. I think this plan again aligns with the parameters of the NPT because it talks about guaranteeing our rights under this treaty.

Interviewer:
You have said Iran has the right to enrich uranium under the NPT. Can you tell us—insisting on this—what parts of Iran’s nuclear program remain operational today?

Baqaei:
I have nothing to add on this technical matter. Our Atomic Energy Organization and other related bodies are working on it. But yes, our nuclear facilities have suffered serious damage—that is clear—because they have been repeatedly attacked by Israeli and American aggressors. Again, what matters most to the people of the region and beyond is to truly understand the depth of this illegality that has taken place against Iran in the past 12 days.

Interviewer:
President Trump said today on the sidelines of the NATO summit: "Ultimately, after this conflict, we will have a relationship with Iran." Now that your country is not under attack—at least as you say—are you open to this? Are you willing to negotiate with the U.S.?

Baqaei:
Over the past two or three months, we have heard many contradictory statements. There are many contradictions within the U.S. bureaucracy and institutions. While they talked about diplomacy, only two days before our planned meeting in Muscat, they greenlit Israel to attack Iran. My nation was attacked by Israel. So is there any trust left in them? Because they talk about different issues, act differently, and now they must be held accountable for the aggression they committed in collusion with Israel against my country. And this is what our people want—as a government, they expect the international community to hold the aggressors accountable above all.

Interviewer:
So are you saying you have no interest in talks with the Americans anymore?

Baqaei:
What I’m trying to say is that they destroyed diplomacy. From Iran’s point of view, we have said diplomacy never ends—even at the height of the imposed war against Iran, we continued talks with different actors to save lives and ensure our national security. But the point is that other parties, while talking about dialogue and diplomacy, commit acts of aggression. These contradictions only create more problems.

Interviewer:
Okay, so what preconditions, if any, does Iran require for any future negotiations?

Baqaei:
Right now, just one day after the Israeli aggression stopped, we are focused on our security and people because they are angry about what happened. So at this time, I think there is nothing to say about those contradictory statements on diplomacy or negotiations because we must be sure whether other parties are truly serious about diplomacy or if this is again part of their tactics to cause more problems for the region and my country.

Interviewer:
About the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which is now established and holding—what are the key elements needed to maintain this ceasefire? Are there active diplomatic channels behind the scenes supporting this truce?

Baqaei:
As you see, the Qataris contacted us to stop this war—this imposed war against Iran. We did not start this war, and after they contacted us and after the Americans contacted Qatar, we agreed to stop. So it is perfectly clear: we were attacked; we were the target of an act of aggression. So in case of any military attack or aggression against Iran, we will defend ourselves.

Interviewer:
Iranian officials have projected an image of strength and stability—even victory—in facing this conflict. As you say, Iran was attacked by Israel, but the casualties have been significant: over 600 dead, widespread destruction of military and civilian sites. We still don’t know the extent of damage to nuclear sites. When Iranian officials claim victory today, what does victory mean? What has Iran really achieved in this conflict?

Baqaei:
We have suffered greatly—that is clear. Our people were massacred by Israeli aggression; this is a war crime against humanity, and they must be held accountable. But the point is that our people have shown determination in defending their national security and sovereignty. And I think, given that this imposed war was designed, planned, and executed with American help, it means we had to resist the attack of the U.S. and Israel—two nuclear players—who were also supported by some other actors throughout the Western Hemisphere. So this means that as a nation, we were able to defend our identity, our security, and ultimately, they were forced to surrender to the will of the Iranian people through resistance—to come to us and request this ceasefire.

Interviewer:
So they came to you and requested the ceasefire—just to confirm?

Baqaei:
Our friends from Qatar contacted us. And of course, as I said, we never welcomed war. We are a peace-loving nation. No responsible actor or government in our region welcomes war. There is only one actor in our region who has always tried to wage war against our people. They have been committing genocide in Gaza over the past two years, occupied lands of two Muslim countries—Syria and Lebanon—and everyone knows they are warmongers who respect neither international law nor ethics. So yes, as a nation, we were able to resist this unjust war over the past 12 days.

Interviewer:
You mentioned Qatar, and Qataris have expressed dissatisfaction with the attack on American bases in Qatar, condemning it strongly and saying this has caused a wound in Iran-Qatar relations. What steps will Iran take to repair this relationship?

Baqaei:
We have great respect for Qataris and highly value our good relations with Qatar. We have been good friends with Qatar in difficult times, and they have been good friends to us. We essentially have good relations with all the Gulf coastal countries. We have clearly stated that the military attacks on Al Udeid had nothing to do with Qatar. We respect Qatar’s territorial integrity and national security. This action was within our right to self-defense against U.S. aggression on our peaceful nuclear facilities.

At the highest level, our president spoke with the Qataris; our foreign minister did the same. We tried to explain that what happened against the American base was within our right to self-defense. So we remain committed to a policy of good neighborliness with Qatar and other regional countries. I personally regret any discomfort this attack caused our Qatari brothers and sisters. But as we said, this self-defense operation was carefully planned to defend our rights under Article 51 of the UN Charter in response to the U.S. aggression against our territorial integrity.