Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference on Monday that the Islamabad memorandum did not establish a 60-day deadline for implementing the agreement. Rather, he said, the document envisaged negotiations on the nuclear issue within that period.
“We did not start any negotiations at all, and the U.S. violated the understanding from the very beginning; therefore, the 60-day issue is not relevant,” Baqaei said.
He stressed that Iran would determine its course of action based on national interests and its own assessment of developments rather than external deadlines.
“Iran is not a party that adjusts its policies under pressure and deadlines,” Baqaei said.
The spokesman also said Iran’s armed forces were closely monitoring developments in the region. “Our Armed Forces are keeping a watchful eye on any movement,” he said, adding that Tehran was continuing efforts to strengthen ties with regional countries.
Baqaei rejects shift in U.S. Justifications
Responding to U.S. claims that Washington had changed its priorities regarding Iran, Baqaei said the shifting explanations reflected continued confusion and argued that the war against Iran had been launched without a legitimate basis.
He said Washington had initially justified the military campaign by citing an imminent threat from Iran, but that the Pentagon had subsequently rejected the existence of such a threat.
“They have trapped themselves in a quagmire and, in order to justify their failures, they are forced to change their objectives,” Baqaei said.
He said U.S. attention had subsequently shifted toward the Strait of Hormuz, while arguing that the waterway had remained open before the military action.
“Under these circumstances, the best thing for the U.S. is to extricate itself as soon as possible before becoming more deeply involved,” Baqaei said. He added that acknowledging a mistake could create an opportunity for a course correction, although he questioned whether U.S. officials had the political courage to do so.
Iran calls for greater regional self-reliance
Asked about the most significant outcome of the two recent wars, Baqaei said regional countries had increasingly concluded that the United States was an unreliable partner and that its military presence had failed to deliver greater security.
“We invited the countries of the region to rely on themselves,” he said.
Baqaei’s comments come as Tehran continues to emphasize regional cooperation and greater economic and security self-reliance while rejecting attempts to impose externally determined timelines on Iran’s foreign-policy decisions.
Hossein Amiri - H.Hakimzadeh
