WANA (Mar 04) – The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry stressed that Tehran’s recent military actions in the region have been strictly limited to U.S. military bases and targets, denying any attacks against neighbouring states.

 

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said Wednesday in an interview with Al Arabiya / Al Hadath that the Islamic Republic “is acting solely in self-defense and has carried out no attacks against neighboring countries.”

 

Referring to the nature of the targets, he added that Tehran had struck sites that had previously attacked Iran. “We extend a hand of friendship to all countries in the region, and the accusations regarding an attack on Saudi Arabia are unfounded,” he said.

 

Baghaei further emphasized: “Iran has been subjected to an unlawful attack by the United States and the Zionist regime. This war was imposed on us; we did not initiate it.”

 

He underlined that Iran’s defensive measures are carried out with high precision and remain confined to military objectives, with a focus on safeguarding national security.

 

The escalation comes despite what Iranian officials describe as serious negotiations with Washington. On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel, according to Tehran, attacked multiple locations across several Iranian cities without regard for the ongoing talks.

 

Iranian authorities argue that while the Islamic Republic had taken steps during negotiations to increase transparency regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, the renewed attacks by the United States and Israel reflected what they describe as a recurring and deceptive pattern in international relations.

 

Following Saturday’s strikes by Israel and the United States, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Seyed Ali Khamenei, was martyred, according to Iranian state sources.

 

In response to what it calls acts of aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran has launched what it describes as firm and decisive strikes against Israeli-held territories and U.S. military positions in the region.

A destroyed police car stands amid rubble in the aftermath of a strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)