WANA (Dec 20) – The spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations raised in the joint statement by the foreign and defense ministers of the UK and Australia regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran, calling them baseless, unfounded, and irrelevant. He urged both nations to reconsider their interventionist policies, which contradict international law.

 

Esmaeil Baghaei, highlighting the continued support of the UK and Australia for the illegal actions, crimes, and aggressions of the Zionist regime in occupied Palestine and West Asia, condemned their biased stance against Iran’s defensive operations following Israel’s attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus. He emphasized that Iran’s defensive actions, including Promise Kept 1 and Promise Kept 2, were entirely in line with the principle of legitimate self-defense under international law and the UN Charter.

 

Refuting the repeated claim of Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, Baghaei described these accusations as part of the US-UK agenda to intensify global securitization of international relations and “globalize” the Ukraine conflict. He further noted that even the Ukrainian president had denied allegations of Iran sending ballistic missiles to Russia.

 

Baghaei underlined that the root cause of instability in the West Asia region lies in the continued occupation and aggressive expansionism of the Zionist regime, which has persisted with comprehensive support from the US, the UK, Australia, and other Western countries. This support, he stated, has facilitated genocide against Palestinians and aggression against Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen over the past 14 months. He stressed that the UK, Australia, and other backers of the Zionist regime must be held accountable as accomplices to these atrocities.

 

The spokesperson also criticized the UK and Australia for their egregious and systematic human rights violations, particularly in detention centers and refugee facilities. He condemned their complicity in the crimes of the Zionist regime against Palestinians and the continued colonial extermination projects targeting Australia’s Indigenous peoples. He called on both countries to cease their hypocritical and instrumental use of human rights issues.

 

Referring to the UK foreign secretary’s recent remarks that genocide in occupied Palestine would require the killing of millions, Baghaei described Britain’s denial of the Gaza genocide as shameful. He asserted that such a government lacks the moral authority to lecture others on human rights.

 

Baghaei rejected the allegations regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, stating that Iran’s nuclear activities and projects are conducted based on the country’s technical and practical needs, in compliance with its legal obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Safeguards Agreement, under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He emphasized that IAEA reports have consistently confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program has never deviated from its peaceful trajectory.

 

Addressing the transfer of nuclear submarines by the US and the UK, both nuclear-armed states, to Australia under the AUKUS pact, Baghaei pointed out widespread proliferation concerns and criticism from the IAEA. He also condemned their inaction regarding Israel’s arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. He described these policies as clear examples of their double standards on nuclear non-proliferation and indifference to international peace and stability, calling on the UK and Australia to end their dual approach to international norms and regulations.