Iran’s FM Spokesperson: “We Will Not Submit to Excessive Demands”

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iran has rejected the possibility of yielding to renewed Western pressure over its nuclear program, amid ongoing disputes with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and diplomatic tensions following recent military strikes on its territory.

In a press briefing held on Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticized threats by European officials to reinstate sanctions via mechanisms under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

According to ISNA, Baqaei responded to concerns raised by French officials about Iran’s commitment to nuclear negotiations, stating: “We will not submit to the excessive demands of the other side.

Negotiations and dialogue under such an approach are meaningless, and European countries must reconsider their position.” He further questioned whether Iran’s sincerity in the negotiation process should be in doubt, noting that attacks on Iranian territory occurred just two days before the scheduled sixth round of talks.

International Organizations Urged to Condemn U.S. and Israeli Attacks

Baqaei underscored that both the U.S. and Israel carried out military aggression against Iran and called on international institutions, including the UN Security Council, to officially recognize this.

He emphasized: “America and the Zionist regime have attacked Iran—this is an undeniable fact. Our main demand... is to take appropriate action to hold them accountable for this act of aggression.”

He also stated that Iran had made 10 formal communications with the UN Secretary-General and relevant institutions about the attacks and said three Security Council sessions had been held.

IAEA’s Role and Iran’s Response

Baqaei accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of contributing to the escalation. “Our consistent demand has been that the IAEA Director General must act within the technical scope of his duties and avoid being influenced,” he said.

He labeled the IAEA’s recent report as “inappropriate,” alleging that it served as a pretext for the Israel and the U.S. to attack Iran.

“The issue of the IAEA’s performance must not distract from the illegality of these attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities,” he stressed.

He further emphasized that Iran’s parliamentary law suspending cooperation with the IAEA was binding, given the agency’s inadequate response to recent attacks and assassinations.

Baqaei also responded to IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi’s denial that the agency’s report triggered the Israeli strike by pointing out the short interval between the IAEA resolution and the military attack.

“Under no circumstances does the IAEA report provide legal grounds for aggression—but it certainly served as a pretext,” he said.

When asked about the IAEA Director General’s insistence on inspecting Iranian nuclear facilities and visiting Tehran, Baqaei said:

“His insistence at this point in time is incomprehensible, especially given that only a few days have passed since the aggression against our peaceful nuclear facilities. Under these circumstances, it is unreasonable to expect that cooperation between Iran and the Agency will proceed as usual.”

He stressed:

“One of the main issues now is how to ensure the safety and security of IAEA inspectors, particularly as a full assessment of the damage has not yet been completed. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is still conducting evaluations.”

EU Talks,  Sanctions Threats, Germany’s Chemical Legacy

Addressing EU-Iran negotiations, Baqaei said no definitive date has been set for the next round of talks. 

He rejected threats from European officials about restoring sanctions through UN mechanisms, asserting: “We will not submit to the excessive demands of the other side.”

Baqaei condemned recent statements by French and German officials supporting Israeli actions, especially a comment by the German Chancellor calling Israeli operations a “dirty job.”

Baqaei said: “To call such blatant aggression a ‘dirty job’... recalls another ‘dirty job’—the mission assigned to Saddam to use chemical weapons against the people of Iran and Iraq.”

“It is evident that Iraq’s chemical weapons were developed and supplied by some Western countries, especially Germany,” he stated. “This remains a national demand of the Iranian people across generations—that the truth be revealed and justice be served.”

He reiterated that Iran had proposed the formation of a fact-finding mechanism to investigate Germany’s support for Saddam’s chemical weapons program. “The Germans have said their judiciary has addressed this issue... but we insist that the German government must share the relevant documents of those rulings with us.”

He accused German and French leadership of lending legitimacy to apartheid and genocide, warning that their actions would bring “historical and eternal shame.”

He also condemned France’s admission of aiding Israel in intercepting Iranian drones as “an acknowledgment of its role in this imposed war.”

“France must be held accountable”, he said, “especially since it previously denied involvement.”

Trump’s Shifting Positions and Detention of Iranian Nationals

Baqaei said U.S. President Donald Trump’s shifting rhetoric and threats made U.S. policy “unreliable” and framed recent arrests of Iranian nationals in the U.S. as racist.

“These individuals were detained purely for their nationality,” he said, confirming Iran’s diplomatic channels were pursuing the matter.

Iran maintains diplomatic communications with the U.S. via Switzerland. Baqaei noted that while the Swiss are custodians of international humanitarian conventions, they have “not been very active” on Gaza. “Even a resolution planned in Geneva... did not reach any conclusion.”

Evin Prison Attack and Documentation Efforts

Baqaei condemned the Israeli airstrike on Evin Prison as “barbaric,” claiming it killed several civilians, including a benevolent woman, a mother with her child, and conscripted soldiers.

He said Iran is documenting these events and has already hosted foreign journalists and diplomats at the impacted sites.

Ceasefire, Armed Forces Preparedness, and Foreign Diplomatic Missions

Baqaei stated that Iran’s military readiness was the key deterrent to preventing further aggression. “Our armed forces... convinced the enemy that continuing the aggression would not serve their interests.”

He said Iran’s diplomacy was also focused on informing the world about “the dangerous implications of this adventurism.”

He confirmed that several foreign missions had temporarily suspended operations but were now returning. “We are doing everything in our power to ensure their safety,” he said.