By Emmanuel Emeka | Narratives Hub
ABUJA — Iran says it is no longer focused on negotiations with the United States and Israel, insisting that its current priority is defending its territory and citizens after what it describes as attacks carried out during ongoing diplomatic engagements.
Speaking during a press briefing with journalists, the Iranian ambassador explained that Tehran had participated in several rounds of negotiations with the United States in recent months in an effort to resolve disputes through diplomacy. According to him, the discussions had taken place in multiple international capitals and were expected to continue with technical talks related to Iran’s nuclear programme.
The ambassador said the most recent phase of negotiations had been scheduled to take place in Vienna following earlier diplomatic engagements in Geneva. However, he claimed the diplomatic process was abruptly disrupted by military action against Iran.
“For the first time, we were in the middle of negotiations when attacks occurred,” he said. “We believed in diplomacy and in solving problems through dialogue, but suddenly we faced bombardment and aggression against our country.”
According to the envoy, the sudden escalation changed Iran’s position on negotiations. He said Iranian authorities now consider defence of the country as their immediate priority rather than returning to the negotiating table.
During the briefing, Narratives Hub correspondent Emmanuel Emeka asked what steps Iran was willing to take to promote peace and prevent further escalation with the United States and Israel given the growing regional tensions.
In response, the ambassador said Iran had already attempted diplomacy but believes its efforts were undermined by continued military actions. He alleged that while talks were ongoing, attacks were carried out against Iranian targets, including civilian infrastructure such as schools.
“As long as we were negotiating, attacks were still happening,” he said. “Because of this, Iran believes this is not the right moment for negotiations. Our focus now is defending our country, our territory and our people.”
The ambassador also addressed Iran’s military responses in the region, particularly strikes targeting United States military bases located in several Persian Gulf countries. He argued that those facilities were being used to support operations against Iran and therefore became legitimate targets under what he described as Iran’s right to self-defence.
He emphasized that Iran does not consider neighbouring countries its enemies and said Tehran maintains friendly relations with many states in the Persian Gulf. However, he noted that some of those countries host American military bases, which Iran claims are being used for operations against its territory.
“Our problem is not with our neighbours,” he said. “We only target the military bases that are being used against Iran.”
The ambassador also defended Iran’s attacks on Israel, accusing the Israeli government of provoking the conflict and destabilizing the broader Middle East region. He argued that Iran’s military response is a reaction to what he described as aggression.
Beyond the military situation, the envoy also addressed concerns about foreign nationals living in Iran. He assured that Nigerian citizens residing in Iranian cities such as Tehran and Qom remain safe despite the escalating tensions.
According to him, relations between Iran and Nigeria have existed for more than five decades and remain strong across sectors including politics, agriculture, energy, education and trade.
“So far, we have not received any reports of Nigerian casualties or injuries,” he said. “Your citizens in Iran are safe.”
The ambassador warned that the ongoing conflict could expand across the region if tensions continue to escalate, calling on the international community and global institutions to intervene in order to prevent further instability.
The press briefing comes amid growing concerns among analysts that the confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel could have wider geopolitical consequences for the Middle East and beyond if diplomatic solutions are not revived.
