BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27. Iran’s decisions are guided by the country’s national interests, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on July 27, Baghaei said decisions concerning Iran’s interests involve a range of factors rather than a single consideration.
"Decisions related to the country’s national interests are not based on a simple, single-variable approach. A wide range of factors and changing circumstances must be taken into account. Iran has never allowed and will never allow the United States to decide when war or peace should take place," he said.
Baghaei said Iran would defend its interests whenever necessary and would use diplomatic channels when required to safeguard national security.
"The other side believed Iran would collapse within three days. However, five months later, they have found themselves trapped in the quagmire of war," he added.
Meanwhile, the latest escalation in U.S.-Iranian relations began on July 8. On that day, for the first time since the signing of the memorandum between Washington and Tehran, the U.S. military carried out several waves of strikes on Iranian territory, claiming that this was in response to an attack on a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran. In response, Tehran began attacking U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Oman.
