Iran warned Tuesday it will retaliate against any U.S. military strike, dismissing claims that Washington messaged Tehran expecting it to refrain from responding.
Speaking at his weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described suggestions that the U.S. could attack Iran without retaliation as an "illusion."
He rejected claims Washington had sent a message urging Iran to refrain from responding to a potential U.S. attack.
Baghaei said Tehran had demonstrated it would answer any military strike, adding that "If our response is not stronger, it will certainly be equal."
The spokesperson stressed that the era of the U.S. attacking and withdrawing without consequences was over.
His remarks came in response to claims of a possible U.S. attack on Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang) in Iran.
Baghaei also warned that Iran remained prepared for another Israeli attack, saying the country was not experiencing peace.
Responding to media reports that Israeli officials had discussed another war against Iran with regional parties, he said Tehran was constantly assessing potential threats.
"We live with this possibility and face it day and night," he said, citing the continuing U.S. naval blockade and threats against Iran as reasons for military readiness.
He said Iranian forces had learned from the past two years and were prepared to repel any assault.
No nuclear negotiations
Baghaei said Tehran had not entered nuclear negotiations with Washington and thus had no details of such talks to discuss with Russia or other countries.
"We have not entered nuclear negotiations with Washington to discuss their details with other parties," he said.
He rejected speculation that Iran had softened its positions on the nuclear issue, stressing Tehran remained committed to its principles and national interests.
The spokesperson said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Tehran was part of regular consultations between the two countries.
He noted the visit had been planned for months and aimed to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments.
Baghaei said discussions covered the Caucasus, Europe, the Ukraine conflict, the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
He said Russia had played an important role in previous negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement and continued to offer to help reduce tensions.
Baghaei also dismissed remarks by U.S. officials regarding Iran’s relations with Russia and China, saying Tehran would continue developing ties with both countries regardless of Washington's rhetoric.
He said Iran's cooperation with Moscow and Beijing was based on mutual interests, stressing Tehran understood both countries pursued their own national priorities.
Referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks, Baghaei said Iranian officials would not engage with such rhetoric, adding sometimes it was better to let others remain in their "illusions."
Baghaei said Tehran would continue pursuing diplomatic opportunities despite its longstanding distrust of Washington.
He accused the U.S. of repeatedly violating its commitments, including since its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018.
However, he stressed Iran's diplomatic institutions could not abandon negotiations solely because of previous experiences.
"If there is even the slightest possibility diplomacy can prevent an escalation of tensions, we must pursue that path," he said.
Baghaei added Iran's priority remained protecting its national interests and security, whether through diplomacy or military defense.
The spokesperson said a recent message received from the U.S. was "insufficient and incomplete," adding Tehran had already communicated its position to Washington.
He said Iran's seven demands were neither new nor unreasonable, arguing they had already been included in the June understanding between the two countries.
Baghaei cited lifting the U.S. naval blockade and ending hostilities on all fronts among Tehran’s demands, describing them as legitimate and reasonable.
He said Washington needed to make a decision on these issues before diplomatic efforts could move forward.
Strait of Hormuz
Baghaei blamed continued U.S. military actions for insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz, calling on the United Nations to help address the situation.
Responding to a question regarding humanitarian shipments, including agricultural supplies and food production materials, he said Tehran had consistently supported efforts to facilitate humanitarian deliveries.
However, he argued the underlying causes of insecurity in the strategic waterway required addressing.
"The cause of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz is clear: the continuation of U.S. interventionist and aggressive actions," he said.
Baghaei urged the U.N. to take steps to prevent Washington from continuing what Tehran considers destabilizing actions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf.
OIC resolution on Yemen
The spokesperson also rejected a resolution adopted at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers' meeting in Baghdad expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
He said Iran had formally opposed the resolution and did not consider it a valid OIC decision, citing what he called failure to follow the organization's procedural rules.
Baghaei said Tehran also prevented the inclusion of two paragraphs regarding Yemen in the meeting's final declaration, arguing their wording would deepen divisions among Muslim countries.
He said the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen should be resolved through dialogue and reconciliation rather than military force.
"The issue of Yemen cannot be resolved through force," he said.
Baghaei called on neighboring countries to prevent foreign powers from using their territory and military facilities to threaten or attack other states.
He said preventing such activities was essential to establishing lasting regional security and maintaining good-neighborly relations.
The spokesperson also accused Israel’s policies and territorial expansion of fueling regional instability.
He said the war in Gaza had not ended the suffering of Palestinians and reiterated Tehran’s criticism of U.S. and European support for Israel.