Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied launching projectiles at neighboring countries and warned regional states against hosting US forces. Opposition media juxtaposed these denials with recent claims by Azerbaijan of thwarted IRGC terrorist plots.
According to Iran International, a network known for its staunch opposition to the Iranian government, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei used a Monday press conference to vehemently deny allegations of recent military aggression. Baghaei stated that no projectiles were fired by Iran in connection with recent attacks on the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Cyprus.
Al Arabiya Farsi, a Saudi-owned outlet that frequently opposes Tehran's official narratives, echoed this coverage. The spokesman claimed that the armed forces categorically reject the launch of any projectile from inside Iran or by the military forces of the Islamic Republic toward those nations.Alongside the military denials, Baghaei issued a stark warning to neighboring states. According to Al Arabiya Farsi, he cautioned: "We demand from the countries of the region not to let their territory be abused by the US; this demand is based on principles of international law." He further framed the geopolitical tensions as an existential defense, declaring that the ultimate goal of the US and Israel is "the weakening and disintegration of the country, and this will not happen."
Contextualizing the Islamic Republic's official denials, Iran International pointed out that Baghaei's remarks come just days after the Republic of Azerbaijan announced it had successfully thwarted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) plans to carry out terrorist attacks within its borders.
Both sources utilized in this digest (Iran International and Al Arabiya Farsi) are known for their staunchly anti-Islamic Republic editorial stances. This is particularly evident in Iran International's direct juxtaposition of the official Iranian state denial against Azerbaijan's accusations of an IRGC terrorist plot, inherently challenging the credibility of the Foreign Ministry Spokesman's claims.