At This Stage, We Only Negotiate the "Complete Cessation and Termination of War"

Esmaeil Baghaei, honoring the memory of the martyred teachers of the Shajareh Tayyiba school in Minab, said: "When the pure bodies of these teachers were found, each was holding a child in their arms and had tried until the last moment to protect their students."

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, pointing out that during the war imposed by the U.S. and the Zionist regime on Iran, 184 students were martyred, added: "Additionally, during these attacks, 36 teachers were martyred, and 650 schools and educational units were destroyed in 17 provinces."

Ships Must Coordinate with Iran to Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz

In connection with recent remarks by U.S. President Trump that the U.S. will help ships wishing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and that this action is a humanitarian operation, and what Iran's response is to these remarks, he said: "Those responsible for responding to these types of illegal movements and actions are well-prepared and know how to defend the national interests of the country, and in this regard, this morning (Monday) we witnessed the statement from the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters Command."

Baghaei, emphasizing that the world does not accept America's humanitarian claims and does not believe it can exit this self-made quagmire—which has caused numerous problems for everyone—by repeating past mistakes, added: "America must have learned this lesson that it cannot use the language of threat and force regarding Iran, and Iran considers itself the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz."

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson emphasized: "Certainly, ships and shipowners know well that to ensure their security, they must definitely coordinate with the competent Iranian authorities."

Iran and Oman Must Define a Specific Mechanism for Safe Transit

Regarding the objectives of the Iranian Foreign Minister's visit to regional countries, especially Oman, Baghaei said: "We and Oman are coastal countries of the Strait of Hormuz and must define a specific mechanism to ensure safe shipping transit." He emphasized: "Our goal regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz is safe transit from this waterway."

Those Who Committed Heinous Crimes Against Iranians Must Be Punished

The senior Iranian diplomat, regarding the concern expressed by U.S. senators about the failure to achieve U.S. goals in the war against Iran, said: "This is a question that public opinion raises. Of course, in this matter, the only topics addressed are the military and economic consequences of this war, but those who committed heinous crimes against Iranians must be punished."

Regarding Grossi's remarks that "an agreement between Iran and the U.S. requires political will from Tehran," Baghaei said: "Do not be very surprised by these remarks. He constantly repeats this proposition and does not pay attention to the realities on the ground. The surprising point is that the Director General of the Agency witnessed the warmongering and anti-diplomatic actions of the U.S. during both rounds of negotiations, and the problem is exclusively due to the highly destructive performance of the U.S. that no diplomatic process has reached a result."

We Are Also a Superpower

In response to a question from an Arabic network journalist stating that "America is a superpower, why does Iran not back down against it?", Baghaei said: "We are also a superpower."

In response to ISNA's question regarding recent remarks by some Lebanese officials against Iran and Hezbollah, claiming the resistance movement caused the country to get involved in the war, he stated: "Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance are the pride of this country, the Arab world, and the Islamic Ummah, and no one doubts that Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance fight the Zionist regime for the dignity and independence of Lebanon."

Visa Waiver Between Iran and Lebanon Canceled

In response to another question from ISNA regarding the Lebanese government's cancellation of the visa waiver between Iran and Lebanon and reports that Iran has taken reciprocal action, he said: "For a long time, we had an agreement with Lebanon regarding a visa waiver for the travel of Iranian and Lebanese citizens, which was a suitable facility for the travel of the two countries' nationals. However, some time ago, the Lebanese government unilaterally canceled this waiver for Iranian citizens, and naturally, the Iranian Foreign Ministry took reciprocal action."

Baghaei added: "At the same time, to ensure no problems arise, we have created special facilities, including the granting of immediate visa issuance facilities at points of entry."

Regarding the receipt of the U.S. response to Iran's proposals, he announced that this response was received through Pakistan. Without providing further details, he said: "Allow me not to discuss the details of the points raised now because it is under review. Of course, you can well guess that the U.S. is accustomed to excessive and unreasonable demands and it is not easy to quit this habit."

No Talks on Anything Except "Cessation and Complete Termination of War"

In response to a question about the details of Iran's 14-point proposal and issues such as enrichment and nuclear materials, emphasizing that the points raised in the media are largely speculation, he explained: "Speculations are sometimes based on the previous records of negotiations. We were previously talking exclusively about the nuclear issue... but no final decision has ever been made on any of them."

Baghaei stated: "At this stage, we have no talk about anything else except the 'cessation and complete termination of war.' What direction we take in the future will be decided in its own time."

UAE and OPEC

Regarding the UAE's withdrawal from OPEC, he said: "I think for a country to engage in behavior as a negative reaction or retaliatory measure against the region or OPEC member countries is not appropriate or constructive. In these 40 to 50 days, we witnessed inappropriate behavior from this country; they accompanied the parties committing aggression against Iran."

U.S. Troop Reduction in Europe

Regarding Trump's remarks about reducing forces in some European countries, he stated: "The ill-advised action of the U.S. in attacking Iran has had very extensive consequences, including creating a rift and disagreement among countries that were previously U.S. allies. It is time for European countries to see with courage the result of blindly following U.S. policies and decide to adopt a more independent approach."

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