You’ll see US and Israeli officials all over cable news and the mainstream media in the West, discussing their illegal war on Iran. But what is the position of the Iranian government on escalating conflict? What is Iran’s approach to negotiations and diplomacy?
In this exclusive and wide-ranging Zeteo interview, Mehdi presses a senior Iranian official – Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, who was involved in last month’s nuclear meetings in Geneva – on the state of the war, the future of negotiations, Iran’s human rights record, and more.
The half-hour interview was conducted via Zoom, with Baghaei in Tehran, and is both revealing and challenging, with Mehdi and the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman discussing:
Trump claiming that Iranian negotiators are now “begging” for a deal (“Insane.”)
Last month’s negotiations in Geneva (“The deal was within reach.”)
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei (“How is your country not a dictatorship?” Mehdi asks, as well as “Is he even alive?”)
Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbors (“We just defend ourselves.”)
Why Iran reportedly had a stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, which is just steps away from weapons-grade enrichment (“To reciprocate the US’s withdrawal from [the nuclear deal].”)
The Iranian government’s brutal crackdown on protesters earlier this year (“These are eyewitness accounts,” Mehdi says.)
Mehdi also presses the spokesman on Iran’s illegal use of cluster munitions in this war, including an Iranian missile attack that killed three Palestinian women in the occupied West Bank last week. The Foreign Ministry spokesman was also asked about reports that the US’s lead negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were regarded as “Israeli assets” during the negotiations, and whether Iran prefers to deal with Vice President JD Vance going forward.
Paid subscribers can watch the full 34-minute interview. Free subscribers can watch a 7-minute preview. Do please consider becoming a paid subscriber today, or donating to Zeteo, to support independent journalism in a time of war, misinformation, and propaganda.
NOTE: Baghaei conducted this interview via Zoom from Tehran, which has been experiencing internet issues due to the war. There may be audio issues as you watch the interview.
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