Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has forcefully rejected Washington's justification for the aggression it launched against the Iranian nation, dismissing US claims of self-defense.
Taking to X on Friday, spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned new justifications issued by the US State Department. Questioning the premise of Washington's military actions, Baghaei asked, "'Self-defense' against what? Was there any 'armed attack' by Iran to justify 'self defense'?"
He emphatically noted the answer is "Definitely not," adding, "So this was absolutely NOT 'self-defense' — it was an act of AGGRESSION against the nation of Iran."
The spokesman's comments were triggered by an April 21 State Department release in which legal adviser Reed Rubinstein detailed the administration's rationale. Rubinstein claimed that the United States is engaged in the war "at the request of and in the collective self-defense of its Israeli ally, as well as in the exercise of the United States’ own inherent right of self-defense."
The criminal US-Israeli aggression against Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior Iranian officials and commanders. The strikes also targeted the country’s vital economic and civilian infrastructure, claiming the lives of over 3,300 Iranians, according to the latest data.
However, Rubinstein's invocation of self-defense contrasts sharply with internal US military assessments. During a congressional briefing just one day after the aggression commenced, Pentagon staff acknowledged to attendees that Iran was not planning to strike US forces or bases in West Asia unless Israel attacked Iran first.
This acknowledgment drastically undercuts false allegations from the administration of US President Donald Trump, which claimed Iran was planning preemptive strikes against American assets.
Furthermore, the State Department's admission clarifies that Washington entered a war of aggression against Iran on behalf of the Israeli regime. This candid disclosure directly contradicts President Trump, who has repeatedly insisted that Israel had nothing to do with his decision to spark another war in West Asia.
Trump has continually complained online about the circling narrative. On the social media platform Truth Social, he recently claimed, “Israel never talked me into the war with Iran.”
Despite the president's denials, US involvement was reportedly arranged following a February 11 meeting between Trump, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and several US and Israeli officials in the White House Situation Room. Reports indicate it was Netanyahu’s direct influence and subsequent pressure campaign that thrust America into the war.