Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei celebrated President Trump's press conference and outlined four core Iranian positions: missiles are for launching, not negotiation; Iran alone controls the Strait of Hormuz and will charge for services; enriched nuclear material will not leave Iran; and Tehran insisted on a dual Persian-English text to prevent biased translations. The remarks signal Tehran's confidence following the MOU signing.
Late Thursday night, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei issued a detailed statement celebrating President Trump's Wednesday press conference and framing the MOU as a Tehran victory. The spokesman laid out four Iranian red lines that he said are now locked in: Iran's missile program is non-negotiable, Tehran retains exclusive sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and will charge for passage services, enriched nuclear material stays inside Iran, and the deal's official text was insisted upon in both Persian and English to prevent 'biased translations.'
The statement, disseminated via Iranian state media channels, comes hours after President Trump's press conference in which he characterized the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding as a framework subject to further scrutiny. Baqaei's tone suggests Tehran interprets the deal as granting full legitimacy to its core security and nuclear positions — a stark contrast to the U.S. portrayal of ongoing pressure.
As The Zioneer reported at 00:51 and 00:57 Jerusalem time, the Iranian foreign ministry initially framed the MOU as confirming that Iran's missiles 'are for launching, not negotiations.' Thursday night's statement develops that theme systematically across four policy domains. It remains unclear whether the White House shares Tehran's interpretation of the terms; Trump's Wednesday remarks explicitly stated the MOU is 'not final' and that bombing would resume if the deal fails standards.
2 developments
- StrongIran presents US deal as imposed victory, says Trump forced to accept terms
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry mocks Trump's nuclear remarks
- StrongIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: toll collection in Strait of Hormuz continues, contradicting Trump
- StrongTrump says 'surface reports' that Iran deal is less restrictive than 2015 JCPOA
Source and signal
- Internal intake