Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei contested statements made by US President Donald Trump, who claimed Washington did not start the current military conflict. Baqaei argued that the United States initiated an illegal war of choice by launching unprovoked attacks twice in under nine months during diplomatic talks. He specifically referenced strikes on February 28, 2026, which he stated killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with other senior figures and civilians. Furthermore, Baqaei pointed to a long timeline of American intervention, stretching from the 1953 coup to the present day, as proof of ongoing hostility.
Key points
Tehran firmly rejects the American narrative that blames decades of Iranian hostility for…: Tehran firmly rejects the American narrative that blames decades of Iranian hostility for initiating the latest armed confrontation.
Iranian officials maintain that Washington launched an unlawful war of choice that sabota…: Iranian officials maintain that Washington launched an unlawful war of choice that sabotaged ongoing diplomatic negotiations between both sides.
The diplomatic dispute reflects unresolved grievances spanning the 1953 coup, the 1988 ai…: The diplomatic dispute reflects unresolved grievances spanning the 1953 coup, the 1988 airliner downing, and modern military strikes.
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Tehran: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Saturday (local time) slammed the US narrative that Tehran initiated the conflict with Washington in 1979, calling it "deceptive" and accusing American officials of attempting to evade responsibility for the consequences of its recent military aggression against Iran as part of the border West Asia conflict.
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump asserted that Washington did not initiate the war with Iran, claiming that Tehran had been waging war against America since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In a lengthy post on X, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the US administration of attempting to shift responsibility for the conflict by invoking the historical events of 1979, while overlooking decades of American intervention in Iran.
"American officials have now come up with a new deceptive narrative to evade responsibility for the catastrophic human, economic, and geopolitical consequences of their unlawful aggression against Iran: 'America did not start the war with Iran; the Iranians started it with the 1979 Revolution!'" Baqaei said.
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