Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s relations with neighboring countries, particularly its ties with Türkiye, are progressing at the desired level.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Baghaei argued that negative reports published in the media were aimed at creating tensions in Iran’s relations with its neighbors. He claimed that the United States was pressuring its trading partners to take action against Iran and said the media was being used to amplify the impact of this economic pressure.
Baghaei said Türkiye and Iran have special relations in many areas and share common concerns and views on various issues. The Iranian spokesman also listed matters concerning the Israeli administration’s attempts to establish dominance in the region among these common issues, adding that Iran’s diplomatic apparatus was working to prevent the United States from achieving its objectives.
Claims about the area around Mount Qasem
Baghaei also commented on Mount Qasem in central Iran, which U.S. President Donald Trump had brought to the agenda. Saying there was no covert activity around the mountain, Baghaei described reports of nuclear work in the area as part of what he called a psychological warfare campaign conducted by the United States.
In a statement on the 5th, Trump said any activity at Mount Qasem could lead to an attack on the area very soon. Trump also said Iran might be conducting work there linked to its nuclear facilities.
Postponement of the Hormuz meeting
The Iranian spokesman also addressed Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi’s announcement that a planned regional meeting on the Strait of Hormuz had been postponed. Baghaei claimed that Saudi Arabia had requested the postponement of the meeting in Muscat. Riyadh did not respond to the claim the same day.
On Sunday, Busaidi announced that a meeting planned for September 14 between Iran and the Gulf countries on the Strait of Hormuz had been postponed. The meeting, which was scheduled to take place in Oman at the foreign ministerial level, was expected to announce the understanding reached in talks between Tehran and Muscat.
Hormuz tensions and claims of conflict
Negotiations between the United States and Iran have reached an impasse following disputes over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has recently carried out military attacks on some locations in Iran, while Tehran has responded with attacks targeting facilities and military vehicles in some Arab countries that it identified as belonging to the United States.
Some of these attacks killed civilians and damaged civilian facilities. The countries targeted condemned the attacks and called for them to stop.
Iran also announced on February 28 that the United States and Israel had launched a war against Iran. Tehran said more than 3,000 people had been killed in the conflict and reported that U.S. and Israeli citizens had died in its own attacks.
