Iran Rejects Gulf Council’s Framing of Its Military as a Threat

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei rejected the Gulf Cooperation Council’s framing of Iran’s military as a regional threat, saying the country’s defensive capabilities and national security are not negotiable.

Baqaei posted the remarks on X. He did not include the full Gulf Cooperation Council statement he was responding to.

He said Iran is more concerned than any other party about the region’s collective security and called it self-defeating for Gulf states to seek security through what he described as the region’s biggest violator of security.

Baqaei questioned why Gulf states allowed their territory to be used against Iran, alleging missiles were fired from there during what he called an aggressive attack on a Muslim neighbor. That allegation is unconfirmed.

Iran’s military capabilities guarantee the nation’s right to self-defense and support regional stability. — Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran foreign ministry spokesperson

He criticized regional weapons purchases he valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, which he said have no defensive justification.

Baqaei also accused Gulf states of staying silent on what he called Israel’s unmonitored nuclear arsenal while labeling Iran’s conventional defense a threat. Iran’s military capabilities, he said, guarantee the nation’s right to self-defense and support regional stability.

This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.