Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks in a meeting with commanders, managers, and staff of the Armed Forces and the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base on Sunday.
Baqeri emphasized that Iran is not a warmonger but will firmly oppose any form of bullying. He highlighted the Leader’s strategy, which asserts that while Iran will not initiate war, it will respond decisively to any threats.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not a warmonger, but it does not accept bullying and will stand against it,” he said.
"We seek [to promote] peace in the region…We are not pursuing nuclear weapons but rather addressing the needs of our own nation in the nuclear issue,” the top Iranian general emphasized, citing the Leader’s strategy on the nuclear case.
Pointing to Ayatollah Khamenei’s stance on engaging in dialogue with the United States, he noted that Iran would not hold direct negotiations “but there is no problem with indirect talks.”
Baqeri said Ayatollah Khamenei has described Trump as the “most unreliable and unfaithful” party in previous negotiations “and therefore, there is no trust in you.”
On March 7, Trump announced he had written to Iran to call for nuclear negotiations and threaten military action. The letter was delivered to Tehran on March 12 by UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.
On March 27, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran’s official response to the US president’s letter had been sent through Oman.
In contradictory approaches, the US president called on Tehran to hold direct negotiations on its nuclear program while threatening to bomb Iran if diplomacy fails.
Iran has stressed time and again that it will not sit at the negotiating table with the US administration as long as Trump continues his pressure campaign against Tehran.
The Iranian general hailed the Leader’s “reasonable and very wise” response, which would inform both the Iranian people and all nations across the world that the Islamic Republic’s strategy is to defend its own interests and make progress.
He said the Iranian Armed Forces would give a crushing and irreparable response to any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic’s interests and sovereignty.
US threats contradict its calls for diplomacy, Iran open to talks on ‘equal footing’: President
