Detailed remarks of Iranian Foreign Minister at the ceremony of reaffirming the pledge of the Foreign Ministry managers and staff to the ideals of th

-Since our presence here last year, significant developments have occurred on the domestic, regional, and international stages, two of the major ones being the 12-day war and the recent terrorist operation.

-On the morning of the attack, at five o’clock, we arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with colleagues. On the way, I recalled September 1980 and the beginning of the war waged by the Saddam regime against Iran. I was a teenager at that time, but I remember that when enemy planes bombed various locations, Imam Khomeini’s reaction was very calming; he treated it as ordinary, saying that nothing serious had happened, that thieves had come, thrown a stone, and gone, and that they would be dealt with accordingly.

-As I was heading to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this thought kept running through my mind: we are now in a similar situation, and although nothing serious has happened, they came and attacked, and they will receive their response. Just as we stood firm during the eight-year Sacred Defense, we must stand firm in this defense as well, and we stood very firmly and powerfully in this defense.


-The 12-day war was a turning point in Iran’s history, and it truly deserves to be written about for years to come. In the first two or three days of the war, the U.S. President even tweeted two words: “unconditional surrender.” In other words, they came to demand the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people. This needs no analysis or interpretation; it is exactly the reality that occurred and exactly the words that were expressed.

-From the very first days, they were saying, “Come for negotiations.” We said we were already engaged in negotiations when the attack took place. Stop the attack first, then we can talk diplomacy. Their response was that we should first come for negotiations, and that a ceasefire could be one of the results of the talks — meaning that the negotiations were intended to force our surrender. The Iranian people, guided by the wisdom of the leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution, chose resistance. With the lessons we had learned from the late Imam and the confidence instilled in us by him, we resisted.

-From that very first night, our armed forces’ response to their attacks began and continued, and on the twelfth day of the war, those who had been demanding “unconditional surrender” sent a message of “unconditional ceasefire,” which I personally witnessed. We received the exact message that they would halt their actions from a specified hour, and requested that we do the same.

-This was the result of the will, confidence, and resistance of the Iranian people — the lesson we learned from Imam Khomeini, and the guidance and leadership continued by the Supreme Leader along that path. The 12-day war demonstrated that through resistance, steadfastness, and sacrifice, even heavy weapons can be defeated. The phrase Imam Khomeini used — “blood prevails over the sword” — was proven in this war.

-In 1981, Imam Khomeini also said something else that we saw come true in this war: “If a flag falls from the hand of one commander, there is another capable hand ready to raise it.” They thought they had struck down all our top commanders, yet before noon, the flag was raised again. All of these are teachings of Imam Khomeini.

-We are proud that, with these teachings, we remain powerful on the regional and international stage. This time, they came with a different form and a different conspiracy. I do not want to go into details, as everyone knows them. But the three days from 8 to 10 January had nothing to do with the public protests or concerns of the people; these three days were a continuation of the 12-day war.

-The Iranian people’s right to peaceful protest is recognized in our Constitution, which is the legacy of the late Imam, and during the ten days preceding these three days — from 29 December to 7 January — it was observed, and the government tolerated it and engaged in dialogue with the leaders of the protesting groups. However, during those three days, terrorist elements and weapons were introduced, and those three days must be distinguished from the prior ten days. They were a continuation of the 12-day war — an unjust war by the U.S. and the Zionist regime against us — which, despite all their efforts, ended in failure, as you are aware of the details.

-God willing, we will soon witness the benefits of this resistance in the field of foreign policy. While we have always been men of war and resistance, we have also been men of diplomacy. We have never abandoned diplomacy and have never missed an opportunity to secure the rights of the Iranian people through diplomatic means.

-We are in the same trench with our armed forces. They perform their duties, and we perform ours. Together, we act to safeguard the rights of the people, defend their interests, and ensure their security.

-After the failure of their recent conspiracy, they are once again speaking of diplomacy, and we have always been ready for diplomacy — provided it is conducted from a position of equality, with mutual respect, and for mutual benefits.

-Whoever speaks with respect will receive a respectful response, and whoever speaks with threats and force will be answered in the same language. We are ready for diplomacy, but they must understand that diplomacy is not compatible with threats, intimidation, or pressure. Diplomacy has its own principles, and God willing, we will remain steadfast on this path, and I hope we will soon see its results.