Tehran reacts to Hakan Fidan's remarks regarding Iran

The recent rise in diplomatic tension between Iran and Turkey has once again come to the fore following Iran's response to statements made by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei criticized Fidan for comparing Iran's regional interventions to Israel's expansionist policies during a meeting with members of the press.

In his speech, Baghaei also touched upon Turkey-Iran relations and answered questions on various topics, including ongoing diplomacy with the US and discussions regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Regarding Foreign Minister Fidan's previous assessment that "Iran claims that the policy it has long implemented by maintaining proxy forces in these countries (such as Iraq) is a preventive security policy, just like the Israelis occupying the rest of the region for security purposes," Baghaei responded by saying, "It is astonishing that a figure like Mr. Fidan would make such an inappropriate comparison. He knows very well that the Israeli regime is expansionist by nature and seeks to harm the entire region, including Turkey. How they arrived at such a strange comparison is a question mark for us."

Baghaei also insisted that Iran does not have any proxy forces in the region. In his message to Turkey, he stated, "We ask our Turkish friends to align their analyses with the current realities and to refrain from repeating analyses that serve the abuse of the Israeli regime."

On the other hand, Esmaeil Baghaei also answered questions regarding the future of the Islamabad Agreement between Pakistan and Iran. Stating that the agreement is currently entering a crisis phase, Baghaei argued that Iran has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement but said the other party has not remained loyal to its commitments. Baghaei also accused the US of taking steps that undermine the agreement.

Regarding the nuclear program debates, Baghaei gave a clear "No" to the request by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi for inspectors to return to Iran and conduct examinations at damaged nuclear facilities. At the same time, he did not provide a detailed assessment regarding the question about international reports on the reconstruction of the facilities.

News Source: 12punto