Baqaei: US nuclear allegations are a pretext for pressure against Iran

Baqaei: US nuclear allegations are a pretext for pressure against Iran

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has described allegations concerning Iran’s peaceful nuclear programs as a fabricated pretext used by the United States to justify sanctions, economic restrictions and political pressure, stressing that Tehran will never accept diplomacy based on coercion, blackmail or unilateral demands.

Speaking at an event entitled “Confronting the United States: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” in Tehran on Tuesday, Baqaei said Washington’s approach to Iran reflected a broader pattern of hostility rooted in decades of interference in the country’s internal affairs.

He said no evidence had ever been presented indicating any diversion of Iran’s nuclear programs towards non-peaceful purposes, despite years of repeated allegations. According to Baqaei, Washington has turned the nuclear issue into a major instrument of pressure against the Iranian people, while the narrative surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities has become an established feature of US foreign policy, increasingly influenced by the Israeli regime.

The spokesperson argued that the confrontation between Tehran and Washington went beyond material interests, geopolitical rivalry and energy considerations, reflecting fundamentally different approaches to international relations, society and political philosophy.

Tracing the roots of US hostility to its role in the 1953 coup against Iran’s democratically elected government, Baqaei said Washington had since pursued various policies aimed at weakening Iran and preventing it from developing its national capabilities and securing its rightful position in the international system.

He also drew parallels between current pressure campaigns and Britain’s efforts in the 1950s to undermine Iran’s nationalization of its oil industry, including referring the issue to the UN Security Council and portraying it as a threat to international peace and security. He said similar tactics had subsequently been employed against Iran over its peaceful nuclear programs.

Baqaei stressed that recognizing the historical roots of the confrontation did not mean rejecting diplomacy. Rather, he said, diplomacy remained an essential instrument for safeguarding national interests and should operate alongside Iran’s defensive capabilities.

He accused Washington of using diplomatic engagement not to pursue genuine negotiations but to impose its demands, exert pressure and dictate terms, adding that even the United States’ close partners were subjected to such an approach.

“The Iranian nation will never succumb to this approach,” he said, adding that statements threatening to return Iran to the Stone Age further exposed the hostile nature of US policies.

Baqaei also said Qatar and Pakistan continued their mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington, while emphasizing that Iran remained committed to diplomatic solutions without compromising its national interests or accepting coercive terms.

He concluded that efforts to contain Iran through sanctions, political pressure and allegations against its nuclear programs had failed and would continue to fail, given the country's accumulated experience, capabilities and strength.