Iran's spokesman on French citizens, future of Gaza

(3 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY: NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATED PRESS - NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN, VOA PERSIAN, MANOTO TV, IRAN INTERNATIONAL
Tehran, Iran - 03 February 2025
1. Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman approaching lectern prior to regular briefing
2. Journalists
3. Pan right of briefing
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman:
"We do not think that such comments are helpful or constructive. Such decisions in our system are taken in accordance with law. Our judiciary is independent. And labelling such decision as arbitrary I think is simply distortion of facts and would not help ease the relations between the two countries."
5. Wide of briefing
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman:
"No third party can decide on the future of Gaza. They have paid an extraordinary expense, extraordinary cost for remaining on their land and if they couldn't uproot them through genocide, through war crimes against humanity, for sure they would not let that happen through any political process."
7. Wide of briefing
8. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman:
"Those financial resources (given by the U.S government to Iranian opposition groups) are not charity donations. They are wages paid in exchange for services by the receivers. This is a clear sign of America's interventionist policy particularly during the Biden administration who tried to pressure Iran and meddle in its domestic affairs through financial aid (to those groups)."
9. Wide of briefing
STORYLINE:
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman on Monday rejected suggestions by French officials that French nationals imprisoned in Iran were "close to torture."
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arrested in May 2022, accused of protesting with Iranian teachers and taking part in an anti-government rally.
"We do not think that such comments are helpful or constructive," said Esmail Baghaei at a press briefing, Monday.
"Our judiciary is independent. And labelling such decision as arbitrary I think is simply distortion of facts and would not help ease the relations between the two countries."
Baghaei also reacted to a plan proposed by U.S president Donald Trump to move residents of Gaza to neighbouring countries.
"No third party can decide on the future of Gaza. They have paid an extraordinary expense, extraordinary cost for remaining on their land and if they couldn't uproot them through genocide, through war crimes against humanity for sure they would not let that happen through any political process," he said.
In January, Trump said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area to create a virtual clean slate.
Iran has called such plans ethnic cleansing of the city.
Baghaei also accused the U.S of trying to meddle in Iran's domestic affairs through funding opposition groups and activists, in response to a question on reports that Washington has frozen those aids.
The State Department ordered a sweeping freeze Friday on new funding for almost all U.S. foreign assistance.
"This is a clear sign of America's interventionist policy particularly during Biden administration who tried to pressure Iran and meddle in its domestic affaors through financial aid (to those groups)."
AP Video by Saeed Sarmadi
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