Khatibzadeh, who heads the Foreign Ministry's Center for Political and International Studies, made the remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony marking the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
He said Iran is engaged in a "historic, national, patriotic, revolutionary and Islamic struggle," adding that victory would ultimately belong to those who demonstrate perseverance.
"Iranian governments and the entire system have a duty to safeguard national interests and security," Khatibzadeh said, stressing that President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration would mobilize all available capacities, in cooperation with the heads of the three branches of government, to neutralize the effects of sanctions.
He was referring to the continuation of the United States' maximum-pressure policy and economic sanctions against Iran, which Tehran has long described as a form of economic warfare.
Khatibzadeh said the latest pressure campaign was rooted in the failure of Iran's adversaries during an earlier stage of the conflict. He criticized Western governments for repeatedly attempting to weaken Iran by exerting economic pressure and promoting 'flawed narratives' in international media.
"They explicitly say they impose sanctions to make the Iranian people desperate and exhaust their resilience," he said.
Khatibzadeh also argued that the current pressure campaign was not fundamentally different from policies pursued by previous U.S. administrations. Referring to former President Barack Obama's sanctions policy, he said earlier attempts to bring Iran to its knees through so-called 'crippling sanctions' had failed. He predicted that those pursuing similar policies today would eventually 'be consigned to the dustbin of history.'
As Khatibzadeh said, hundreds of international documents concerning 'new acts of terrorism' have been prepared by the Foreign Ministry over the past year and several months and submitted to international organizations.
He also accused the United States, Israel and some of their allies of seeking to prevent such cases from reaching international bodies. Tehran would continue efforts to pursue accountability through diplomatic channels, added the diplomat.
"Terrorism has no good or bad side," Khatibzadeh said, arguing that international relations should not be governed by 'the logic of force.'
There Is No Such Thing as “Good” and “Bad” Terrorism
Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary of the Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights Nasser Seraj called on the international community to adopt a unified standard in combating terrorism, rejecting double standards in distinguishing between “good” and “bad” terrorism or between Eastern and Western forms of terrorism.
Seraj said state and non-state terrorism should not be defined according to political interests. He stressed that any act intended to spread fear, kill civilians, or deprive people of security and peace must be condemned regardless of who carries it out or the political motives behind it.
“If we accept double standards, we undermine justice,” he said, adding that terrorism “wherever it occurs and whoever commits it, must be condemned.”
Seraj further said human lives should not become “bargaining chips in politics,” and that victims’ rights must not be treated selectively. He also said no power should place itself above accountability for the loss of human life.
Referring to the attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab, he stressed that international humanitarian principles require the protection of civilians under all circumstances.
Hossein Amiri - seyed mohammad kazemi
