Iran Urges Neighbours to Block Use of Their Territory Against It
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has urged regional countries not to allow their territory, infrastructure and facilities to be used in US and Israeli military actions against Iran. He said Tehran had conveyed its concerns and objections to the relevant countries through diplomatic channels.
Speaking at a news conference at the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday, 12 Mehr, Baqaei said regional security is tied to the responsibility of neighbouring states and that Tehran expects those countries to observe the principle of good neighbourliness. He also said Iran had reminded the countries it said were involved in these actions of their international responsibilities.
The spokesman said Iran’s delegation held talks with representatives of almost all the countries on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. According to him, one of the topics in those meetings was the possible use of regional countries’ infrastructure in military actions against Iran and the need to prevent further tensions.
Baqaei also announced the release of a number of Iranian nationals imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates, saying the issue had been raised in talks between officials of the two countries on the sidelines of the UN meeting. He thanked Emirati officials for their cooperation and expressed hope that the process of releasing other Iranian nationals jailed in the country would also continue.
He rejected a report by a US media outlet about the expulsion of two members of the Iranian delegation from the United States, calling it “utterly false.” Baqaei said the entry and departure times of delegation members had been set in advance, but one Iranian diplomat who had been due to remain in New York for a few more days was forced to leave the city because of what he described as US pressure.
Baqaei described the move as a violation of US obligations as the host country of the United Nations. He also said Washington, after failing to prevent the Iranian delegation from attending the General Assembly, had spread “fabricated news” about the delegation.
In another part of his remarks, the spokesman said the presence of the Iranian delegation led by the country’s president at the UN General Assembly provided an opportunity to set out Tehran’s positions, adding that the delegation had met and spoken with officials from various countries, think tanks and media outlets.
