Iranian Ambassador Says Tehran Acted in Self-Defense, Blames Israel and U.S. for Escalation
By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Iran did not initiate the current conflict and was engaged in negotiations before coming under attack, Iran's Ambassador to Georgia, Seyed Ali Mojani, said at a press conference.
"Iran did not start the war. Both in the summer of 2025 and in the winter of 2026, we were engaged in the negotiation process and suddenly we found ourselves the object of attack," Mojani said.
He argued that the international community lacks a realistic assessment of the fragile global situation and warned that further escalation in the Middle East could trigger wider instability.
"At a time when the war in Ukraine is still ongoing, the lack of a realistic assessment can lead us to a catastrophe," he said, citing disrupted maritime transport, political crises in Latin America, and a growing global tariff conflict. According to Mojani, an escalation in the Middle East could trigger a domino effect across multiple regions.
The ambassador said Iran took defensive measures within an hour of the attack and acted in line with international law.
"Iran has the right to self-defense, which is determined by the principles of international law and the UN Charter," he said.
Mojani said he immediately informed Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the situation and stressed Iran's military readiness.
"Our defense capabilities allow us to mobilize our forces and defend the country in an hour," he said, adding that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons.
He said Iran was not targeting neighboring countries but United States military infrastructure in the region.
"America has misused the territories of our neighboring countries against Iran," Mojani said. "The targets of our attacks are not neighboring countries, but American military bases, logistics centers, and intelligence facilities located in these neighboring countries."
He also said Iran responded after learning that U.S. bombers had taken off from Kuwait and rejected claims that Iran could be quickly defeated militarily.
"Iran is not a country that can be considered weak or easily brought to its knees by war," he said.
Mojani accused Israel of provoking the conflict and drawing the United States into it, claiming the war has imposed heavy costs on American taxpayers.
"Another enemy of Iran is Israel, which dragged America into this war," he said, accusing the Israeli leadership of killing more than 50,000 civilians, including women and children.
He also criticized statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned of the risk of a broader religious conflict, referring to rising sectarian tensions between Shiism and Sunnism.
According to Mojani, the conflict could lead to major changes in global geopolitics and negatively affect the world economy.
"When this war ends, it will cause quite a big change in world geopolitics," he stated, adding that former U.S. President Donald Trump had become trapped in what he described as an endless war that had dealt a serious blow to the global economy.
The ambassador said mechanisms must be found to prevent the conflict from escalating further, expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of international institutions.
"Unfortunately, international organizations cannot do anything," he said.
Responding to a question about radiation risks, Mojani said Iran shares concerns raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency but stressed that inspections depend on trust and security conditions.
"It is natural that the International Atomic Energy Agency is concerned about the release of radioactive substances as a result of military operations," he said.
Mojani claimed that in the past some inspectors entering Iran had acted as Israeli and American agents and passed information to foreign intelligence services. He said inspections could only resume if Iran was confident that no information would be shared with Israel or the United States.
He also noted that ongoing military operations and flight disruptions make it difficult to bring inspectors into the country, emphasizing that ending hostilities is the first priority.
"It is necessary to end these military operations," the ambassador said.
