Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi: We Are Not Warmongers, but Any Aggression Will Be Met With a Firm Response / Iran Has the Right to Take Necessary Measures to Confront the Source of Threats / If the Current Situation Continues and Intensifies, the Crisis Will Not Be Limited to Iran and the West Asia Region / Guarding the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz Is the Responsibility of Regional Countries, Not Forces That Have Come From Across the Oceans

Deputy Minister for Legal and International Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, at the CICA Group meeting in Baku, stressed: The most important source of insecurity and instability in Asia, particularly in West Asia, is the Zionist regime. The time has come for this regime to be expelled from the CICA mechanism.

Ambassador Arjan: The Legal and International Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized at the SICA group meeting in Baku: The most important source of insecurity and instability in Asia, especially in the West Asia region, is the Zionist regime. Now it is time for this regime to be expelled from the SICA mechanism.

The full text of Gharibabadi's speech is as follows:

Today's summit is being held in a situation where Asia, despite its enormous human, economic and civilizational capacities, is facing a series of complex security threats. The intensification of geopolitical competition, the use of force, the weakening of multilateralism, and the continuation of unresolved regional crises have revealed the need for a serious review of security approaches and strengthening cooperation among Asian countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that stable security in Asia is achieved not through threats and pressure, but through mutual respect, trust building and equal cooperation between independent governments.

One of the most important challenges of the international system today is the normalization of resorting to force and trying to impose political will on independent countries through military aggression, sanctions and threats. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been the target of military attacks; Attacks that are a clear violation of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and are contrary to the fundamental principles of international law, international humanitarian law and the United Nations Charter.

We are not warmongers, but any aggression will be met with our decisive response.

From February 28 until now, our nation is facing the illegal military aggression of America and the Zionist regime for the second time in the last 16 months. The aggression began during intense diplomatic negotiations. On the very first day of this aggression, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution was martyred and many of our compatriots died, including 168 innocent students of Shajra Tayyaba School in Minab. The peaceful nuclear facilities that were under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as the critical civilian infrastructure of our country, were attacked. In response to this aggression, according to Article 51 of the charter, Iran has taken advantage of its inherent right of legitimate defense. We are not warmongers, but any aggression will be met with our decisive response.

We expect SICA member countries to adopt a principled, coherent and international law-based approach to any military aggression, regardless of the identity of the perpetrator or victim.

America and the Zionist regime are the biggest sources of insecurity and lawlessness in the world. If the international community does not stop them today, their attacks will spread to all independent countries. America considers itself the law and has destroyed all international regimes; The Zionist regime is not a member of any of the international disarmament and arms control treaties and has developed all types of weapons of mass destruction, has militarily attacked its neighbors and some countries in the West Asian region, and has become a manifestation of aggression and evil in the region and the world.

We emphasize that no political or security consideration can provide a license to ignore the mandatory rules and basic principles of international law. Experience has shown that the use of force not only does not resolve disputes, but also deepens regional crises by spreading mistrust, intensifying the arms race, damaging critical infrastructure, and increasing civilian suffering. The fundamental position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is clear: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries must be respected; The threat or use of force must be condemned in accordance with the United Nations Charter; And any violation of international law should be faced with an independent, documented and impartial investigation. From this point of view, we expect SICA member states to adopt a principled, coherent and international law-based approach against any military aggression, regardless of the identity of the perpetrator or victim.

Developments in West Asia show that expansionist policies, use of force and disregard for international obligations have consequences beyond the borders of a country. The military actions of the Zionist regime, the continuation of the occupation of Palestinian lands, the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and the escalation of tensions in Lebanon, Syria and other parts of the region are among the important factors of instability in West Asia. Expanding the scope of military confrontation and the threat of attack against regional countries increases the risk of involving more actors and spreading the crisis to other regions of Asia. The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that it is impossible to talk about sustainable security in Asia, but it remains indifferent to the occupation, aggression, military threats and violation of the rights of the Palestinian nation.

The continuation of the current situation, especially in the absence of effective accountability and enforcement of international rules, undermines the credibility of the international legal system and carries the dangerous message that military power can replace law. We demand the cessation of the aggressive actions of the US and the Zionist regime, the end of immunity from accountability, the protection of civilians and the pursuit of legal responsibilities within the framework of competent international mechanisms. In this framework, it is necessary for Asian countries to prevent the spread of the crisis with a responsible approach and not allow our region to become a field of military competition and endless interventions.

What is happening in our region today shows an atmosphere where international laws are not applied equally to everyone. When one of the permanent members of the Security Council commits the great crime of illegal aggression against Iran; When the genocide of the people of Gaza continues in the shadow of the impunity of the leaders of the Zionist regime and the Security Council fails to fulfill its responsibility, trust in the international order is eroded. When aggression goes unanswered, the international order relies on force rather than law. The experience of Gaza and the experience of Iran showed that international institutions are not able to carry out their main responsibility, but with their silence, they mostly provide the ground for lawlessness.

If this situation continues and escalates, the crisis will not be limited to Iran and West Asia. In that case, the world will suffer from insecurity: among other things in the areas of energy, trade, transportation, and in the corridors that have been created at great cost. We believe that no country can pursue its own security at the cost of others' insecurity. Security in Asia is indivisible and will only be sustainable if everyone benefits from it. Experience has shown that stability is not achieved through the military presence of foreigners, nor by applying pressure; Rather, only on the basis of dialogue, mutual trust and respect is formed between the countries of the region. As we have emphasized many times, no outside party can decide the fate of the region for us.

Guarding the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is also the duty of the regional countries and their coastal countries, not the forces that came from across the oceans. Foreign military presence has never brought lasting peace to the region. Regarding Sika's three priorities at the current stage, our opinion is also clear. In terms of connectivity, Iran is ready for extensive cooperation, and its geographical location is a natural link between Asian corridors. We emphasize that all communication routes should be formed with full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and recognized borders of countries. In digitalization, new technologies, including artificial intelligence, should not become a tool of domination and war. Regarding sustainable growth, sanctions and unilateral coercive measures are incompatible with economic cooperation and harm people the most.

Let me finish my words with this emphasis: the future of Asia should not be determined in the battlefields and arms race; The future of Asia must be built on the basis of respect for the sovereignty of countries, justice, joint development and cooperation of nations. In order to realize such a future, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for active participation, relying on responsible diplomacy, regional cooperation and defending the principles of international law. In this regard, we believe that the most important source of insecurity and instability in Asia, especially in the West Asia region, is the Zionist regime. Countries are expected not to remain silent in the face of this regime's brutal crimes against various countries, which are carried out with the support of its big brother, the United States. The time has come for this regime to be expelled from the SICA mechanism.

In the end, I emphasize that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always wanted the best relations with its neighbors. On the other hand, no country should give its territory to aggressors to carry out armed attacks against my country. Naturally, Iran has the right to take necessary measures to defend itself and deal with threats and their origin. On the other hand, regarding the Strait of Hormuz, I would like to emphasize that this waterway was open for decades without any problems. The source of the existing problems should be found in the military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the naval blockade of Iran. The security of shipping is not separate from the security of coastal countries. One cannot talk about freedom of navigation and simultaneously ignore the security of coastal countries. It is not possible to talk about the security of Hormuz and consider the increasing presence of foreign military forces as a matter of course. The only practical solution is to establish order and peace in the region and return safe and secure passage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including a permanent end to aggression and war, complete cancellation of the naval blockade and sanctions against Iran, and respect for Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The SICA mechanism was proposed in 1992 AD (1371 AD) on the initiative of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the then president of Kazakhstan. Iran is one of the 28 member countries of SICA. The seventh summit of SICA is scheduled to be held on October 15, 2026 (23 Mehr 1405) in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan.