Speaking in his weekly press conference, Saeed Khatibzadeh answered questions on a wide range of topics.

Security of Persian Gulf redline for Iran

In response to a question about allegations made by some European and British officials following the attack on a ship in the Sea of Oman, Khatibzadeh said, “These remarks by the British Foreign Secretary against the Iranian people are not new statements and are a chain of irresponsible statements by British officials in recent years.”

“I seriously advise the British government to pay attention to its responsibilities and duties,” he added, stressing, “The security of the Persian Gulf is a redline for Iran, and we have done our best to protect this waterway from the insecurities of countries like Britain.”

The fact that Britain has sided with the Zionist regime shows its position, the diplomat noted.

He also expressed his condolences to the families of the two victims of the attack from Britain and Romania.

Iran deeply concerned about developments in Afghanistan

Regarding the developments in Afghanistan and the arrival of a number of Afghan citizens in Iran, the spokesman said, “Iran is deeply concerned about developments in Afghanistan. For the past four decades, Iran has hosted its Afghan brothers and sisters and has never had anything but a kinship view of the Afghan people, and this humanitarian view has existed and will continue.

Iran never left Vienna talks

“It is very important that we never leave these talks. There is a process of democratic transfer of power in Iran, and naturally, in these processes, there are changes in the executive teams,” said Khatibzadeh about the Vienna talks.

“Speaking on the day of his inauguration and at the first press conference, the President made it clear that action would be taken in the interests of the people to lift the oppressive sanctions,” he added. “We have to wait for the ministers to be appointed, and this path will surely continue.”

Iraqi, Japanese FMs to visit Iran 

The foreign ministry spokesperson announced that the Iraqi foreign minister will visit Iran in the next two days.

About the visit of the Japanese Foreign Minister to Iran, he also said, “The trip has been on the agenda for several months and will take place as soon as the details are finalized.”

Iraq’s territorial integrity important for Iran

About the developments of the Iraqi Kurdistan Party and its impact on Tehran-Erbil relations, Khatibzadeh said, “Iran’s view of Iraq is to preserve its territorial integrity, and this policy is unchangeable.”

“We also have close relations with various groups in Iraq and we have always tried to play an effective role in the development, peace and security of this region within the framework of relations and cooperation,” he added.

Iran warns of any action against its merchant ships

“Unfortunately, in the Red Sea and other international waterways, we see Israeli state terrorism and the silence of governments, including Britain and the United States. We warn that Iran does not remain silent about the safety of its merchant ships.”

Iran, Saudi Arabia hold meetings on bilateral, regional, international 

Khatibzadeh also pointed to the latest status of the Iran-Saudi Arabia talks, saying, “Talks with Saudi Arabia have been held in several rounds on bilateral, regional and international issues.”

“Of course, not all differences need to be resolved, but we think that if Saudi Arabia heeds Iran’s message – that our region is a region where a comprehensive solution can be reached with the cooperation of the countries of the region – we can reach a conclusion.”