CMG exclusive: Iranian FM spokesperson says Tehran will spare no effort to fight US, Israel aggression

Past experiences have proven that no US diplomatic approach can be trusted, and Iran will spare no effort to fight in the face of military aggression by the United States and Israel, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday.

"Right now, Iran is 100% focused on defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its dignity," Baghaei said in an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Tehran.

He said the current conflict is "an imposed war by the two bullies of the world," and Iran's purpose is "just to give them a good lesson" to prevent future acts of aggression, noting that Iran has drawn ample lessons from both the "12-day war" last June and the current conflict.

"Iran could not afford to let them start the war whenever they want, finish it whenever they want and then restart it again," he said. "That would not be acceptable to Iranians."

He criticized the United States for launching the military action against his country when they were still in the midst of negotiations, adding that Washington does not have "any seriousness, any honesty" in the diplomatic process.

"We were for diplomacy; they betrayed diplomacy," he said. "I think this is the manifestation of an organized bullying at its finest."

The US and Israel jointly launched what they called "preemptive" attacks on Iran on February 28, barely two days after the third round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran mediated by Oman. The latest escalation mirrors that of last June, when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran during Washington-Tehran negotiations, triggering the "12-day war" that saw the United States bomb Iran's critical nuclear facilities.

Tuesday's wide-ranging interview by CMG, where the Iranian spokesperson addressed the regional situation and latest developments, came as the Middle East conflict marked its 11th day, with hostilities between Iran, Israel and the US unabated and no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.

A war to 'control global energy resources'

Baghaei accused the United States of seeking pretexts for its aggression against Iran by hyping the so-called nuclear threat from the country, only for US officials to later admit that it was all for oil.

Jarrod Agen, executive director of the US National Energy Dominance Council, said the US is going to "get all of the oil" out of Iran, as he sought to downplay fears of price surges for oil and gas in the wake of reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Newsweek, a US media outlet.

Global oil prices experienced extreme volatility Monday, briefly spiking to their highest level in nearly two years before retreating below $100 per barrel. Brent crude surged to approximately $119.50 in intraday trading – a level not seen since mid-2022 – amid escalating Middle East tensions. The price later eased to settle at around $99.33 after the Group of Seven signaled readiness to release emergency reserves to stabilize markets.

The price surge reflects mounting supply concerns driven by the ongoing conflict. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil passes – has disrupted tanker movements. Meanwhile, major Gulf producers including Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have been forced to implement production cuts due to limited storage capacity and refining bottlenecks.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the current hike in oil prices is a direct consequence of the conflict initiated by the United States and Israel, accusing the pair of threatening the stability of the international economy.

Even people in European and American countries are now paying higher prices for food, and the US and Israel should be held accountable, Baghaei said.

"The way they see this war is not only a war against Iran, but also a war to control energy resources of the whole world in order to play their ultimate game with what they see as their adversaries," he said of the US perspective.

'Targeting every Iranian citizen'

During the CMG interview, Baghaei condemned the US and Israel for attacking Iranian civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, sports venues, residential areas and oil storage facilities.

He slammed the pledge made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week to unleash "death and destruction from the sky all day long" on Iran.

Baghaei specifically noted that the US-Israel strikes recently targeted Iranian oil reserves in Tehran, sending smokes into the air in the capital, and causing poisonous rain.

"This is a crime against environment," he said. "That's why many people believe that this is not only a war crime and a crime against humanity. This is genocide because they are targeting every Iranian citizen."

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Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said on Tuesday that US and Israeli military strikes since February 28 have resulted in the deaths of over 1,300 civilians and the destruction of 9,669 civilian sites in Iran.

On Iran's ties with Arab neighbors

During the interview, Baghaei said Tehran always places great importance on friendly ties with Arab countries in the region.

He expressed regret over the US using the territory of Arab nations to launch attacks on Iran during the war.

Baghaei made it clear that Iran will only target American military bases, assets, and facilities in these countries that are used to carry out aggression against it.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that Iran will refrain from attacking or firing missiles at targets in the neighboring countries, unless it comes under attack from those nations.