Tehran, IRNA -- Iran has confirmed receiving proposals and ideas from several mediators aimed at reducing tensions with the United States, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei saying the country's diplomatic efforts are continuing alongside the response of its Armed Forces.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing on Monday, Baqaei responded to an IRNA question about recent reports suggesting that Qatar had put forward new initiatives to revive negotiations, including speculation over a proposed 10-day ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.
The question referred to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's recent visit to Qatar to offer condolences to Qatari officials over the demise of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, during which he was also reported to have met with his Qatari counterpart.
Baqaei said it was clear that mediators were actively working to prevent further escalation.
"At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran will spare no effort to stop US crimes," he said.
He added that while Iran's Armed Forces were responding "with strength and determination" and targeting the sources of US aggression, the country's diplomatic apparatus was also fully engaged in carrying out its responsibilities.
"I reiterate that the diplomatic apparatus, in coordination with the defenders of the homeland in the Armed Forces, is pursuing its duties," Baqaei said, adding, "The proposals put forward through mediators have been conveyed to us, and we have received them. However, I would rather not go into their details at this stage."
Responding to a question about media claims that differing interpretations of the Iran-US war-ending memorandum of understanding had led to its collapse, Baqaei dismissed the analysis as "completely incorrect," saying it only served to justify Washington's failure to honor its commitments.
He said the memorandum consisted of only 14 articles and contained no ambiguous provisions. "The text is entirely clear, and the United States has no excuse for violating the agreement," he said.
Baqaei pointed to Article 5 as an example, saying it explicitly states that responsibility for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and will be pursued through consultations with Oman and dialogue with regional countries.
Asked whether Iran would return to negotiations if US President Donald Trump were to propose renewed talks, Baqaei said framing the issue as a choice between "negotiation or war" or "diplomacy or war" was not in Iran's interest.
He said it was wrong to assume that diplomacy excludes defense or that the two are incompatible. "Negotiation and defense are both means to an end," he said, stressing that the ultimate objective is safeguarding Iran's national interests.
According to Baqaei, Tehran will pursue that goal through defense, diplomacy, or a combination of both, depending on the circumstances.
Asked whether Iran had suspended implementation of the memorandum of understanding and about the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Baqaei said Tehran's position had remained unchanged from the outset: "commitment for commitment."
He said Iran fully honored its obligations as long as the other side complied with its own commitments, stressing, "Iran has never been the first to violate an agreement."
According to Baqaei, once the United States began breaching its obligations one after another, Iran made clear that it would likewise cease implementing its commitments.
Responding to Trump's claim that images from the Minab school attack were generated using artificial intelligence, Baqaei said US officials should reconsider the information and assessments they receive.
The spokesperson dismissed the allegation, saying there was "no doubt" that the attack on the school in Minab had been carried out deliberately by the United States and that Washington was fully aware of its actions.
He described the strike on the school as one of "thousands of war crimes" committed against the Iranian people and said no justification could diminish the responsibility of those who ordered or carried out the attacks.
Asked about recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Washington remained ready to pursue a diplomatic solution with Iran, Baqaei said Tehran had repeatedly tested such claims in practice.
He argued that when the United States speaks of diplomacy, it is often accompanied by "imposition, intimidation, threats and sanctions," rather than genuine engagement.
"As long as the United States continues to seek to impose its demands on the Iranian nation," he said, "our response will be to defend Iran's dignity and national sovereignty."
Responding to a question about reported threats by President Trump regarding the possible seizure of Khark Island and the consequences of such a move, Baqaei issued a brief warning: "They will see the consequences."
Commenting on the upcoming visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Zaidi to Tehran, Baqaei described the trip as "highly significant," underscoring the importance Iran attaches to its ties with neighboring Iraq.
He said Iran has consistently supported Iraq's stability, prosperity, sovereignty and independence while respecting the country's internal political process. In contrast, he said, the US has pursued policies of interference, intimidation, and coercion toward regional countries, including Iraq.
Baqaei said the visit could mark a new milestone in the growing relations between the two neighboring Muslim countries. He added that the two sides are expected to discuss economic and trade cooperation, border issues, and shared security concerns. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding are also expected to be signed during the visit, with details to be announced later, he noted.
Responding to a question about a recent Mahan Air flight to Sana'a, Baqaei rejected claims that Iran had violated an alleged air embargo on Yemen, saying Tehran does not recognize the existence of such restrictions.
He said Iran believes interpreting UN Security Council resolutions as imposing an air embargo on Yemen is incorrect and described sanctions against an entire country and its people as "unjust."
Baqaei explained that the aircraft had been dispatched to return a Yemeni delegation that had traveled to Iran to attend ceremonies honoring the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The flight also repatriated a number of wounded Yemenis who had received medical treatment in Iran.
Asked whether Oman or other mediators had proposed alternatives regarding the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz, Baqaei said Iran's rights as a littoral state extend beyond the provisions of Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum.
He said Iran had drawn lessons from US and Israeli military aggression and the cooperation of some regional countries, adding that Tehran would not allow the strategic waterway to be used again in a manner that threatens its national security and interests.
Responding to a question about Iran's participation in the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting, Baqaei confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will attend the gathering in Kyrgyzstan later this week.
He said the meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, will focus on economic cooperation, security, counterterrorism, and other issues on the SCO agenda.
Baqaei added that the event will also provide an opportunity for Araghchi to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from SCO member and observer states. A series of such meetings has already been arranged, he said.
Responding to a question about the latest legal and international efforts to pursue justice for Iran's "martyred Leader," Baqaei described the killing of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with a number of senior political and military officials, as "an unprecedented and unforgivable crime."
He said seeking justice and accountability for the attack is "a national responsibility" shared by all branches of the Iranian government and by the Iranian people.
Responding to US allegations about the presence of Iranian military advisers and drones in Cuba, Baqaei dismissed the claims as false, saying Washington is using them as a pretext to intensify pressure on Havana.
"We know it, they know it, and everyone knows they are lying," he said.
Baqaei noted that Cuba has been subjected to US sanctions and pressure for more than seven decades, and criticized Washington's growing unilateralism in Latin America over the past two years.
He stressed that Tehran's relations with Havana are "entirely legitimate" and based on international law and the UN Charter, adding that Iran will continue to strengthen those ties.
On a question about recent attacks in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, Baqaei rejected suggestions that Iran was targeting civilian areas.
He said that Iran's military operations are directed either at US military bases and facilities used to plan, support or carry out attacks against Iran, or at the bases, military infrastructure and gathering points of anti-Iran groups.