Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that diplomacy remains an important tool to safeguard national interests, but stressed it will only be pursued when conditions align with Iran\u2019s strategic priorities.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Baghaei thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts, adding that Iran\u2019s actions were taken in self-defence to counter what he described as U.S. and Israeli military aggression.<\/p>\n
He said Iran is closely monitoring both battlefield and political developments while taking necessary measures to protect its national security and interests.<\/p>\n
The spokesman added that Iran will safeguard its legitimate rights, pursue legal accountability for acts of aggression, and seek compensation for war-related damages.<\/p>\n
Quoting Fars News Agency, Baghaei also stated that attacks on and seizure of Iranian commercial vessels do not reflect the conduct of a country genuinely committed to diplomacy.<\/p>\n
He noted that Iran has not announced participation in a second round of talks, adding that any decision regarding negotiations in Islamabad would depend on whether it serves national interests.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of War said its forces had boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for alleged Iranian crude smuggling. The vessel was reportedly located in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The incident came after U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces had intercepted and taken custody of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named Touska, which was allegedly attempting to bypass a naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.<\/p>\n
A ceasefire between the concerned parties took effect on April 8 after 40 days of fighting. President Trump has also said he will extend the ceasefire as the current two-week truce approaches its expiry.<\/p>\n
Pakistan had earlier facilitated indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, hosting the first round in Islamabad on April 11\u201312. However, Iran\u2019s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran\u2019s decision not to participate in a second round of talks in Pakistan is \u201cfinal,\u201d signalling a pause in the diplomatic process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that diplomacy remains an important tool to safeguard national interests, but stressed it will only be pursued when conditions align with Iran\u2019s strategic priorities. In a statement, Baghaei thanked Pakistan for its mediation efforts, adding that Iran\u2019s actions were taken in self-defence to counter what he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":73614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,17],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[213],"class_list":{"0":"post-73902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest","8":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n