Iran has cautioned the United States against allowing pressure groups to shape its foreign policy, urging Washington to act independently as diplomatic contacts between the two countries cautiously continue amid heightened regional tensions.

By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran remains committed to protecting its national interests through diplomacy but warned that external forces should not dictate American decision-making -- an apparent reference to Israel’s influence in Washington.

He emphasized that it is the responsibility of US officials to pursue policies free from lobby pressure.

“As far as we are concerned, we carefully take previous experiences into account. The experience [of last June] was a very bad one; and based on these experiences, we are determined to secure Iran’s national interests through diplomacy,” Baqaei said.

Despite strained relations, Baqaei noted that a brief interaction between Iranian and US delegations had produced a sense of mutual understanding to keep diplomatic channels open.

“The outcome of these indirect interactions, including the short conversation you referred to, was that we felt there was understanding and common ground to continue this diplomatic process,” he told reporters in Tehran.

Addressing questions about the presence of a US general during the talks, the spokesperson stressed that Iran relies on its own diplomatic approach and expertise. He added that Iran’s foreign minister “is himself, in a sense, a battle-hardened military general.”

However, Baqaei issued a stark warning over potential military escalation, particularly in light of Israeli threats.

“If the Islamic Republic of Iran is subjected to military aggression from any side, it will certainly deliver a crushing response,” he said, according to IRNA and adding that any Israeli action would not occur without U.S. coordination and that Iran’s retaliation would be “regret-inducing.”

He also criticized Western powers over conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, saying France and the United States, as guarantors of ceasefires, bear responsibility due to what he described as indulgence toward Israel.

Separately, Baqaei confirmed that recent talks held during Iran’s defense minister’s visit to Azerbaijan covered a broad range of political, security, and defense matters aimed at strengthening bilateral trust.

Meanwhile, Iranian Army Commander Amir Hatami reinforced the country’s deterrent posture, declaring the armed forces are on maximum alert. “The military is at full readiness and at the highest level. If the enemy makes a mistake, it will undoubtedly receive a response the likes of which it has never seen or experienced,” he said.

In his video message, recorded along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Hatami added that security and diplomacy now form a single front in confronting adversaries, describing them as part of “one battlefield in the struggle against a stubborn enemy who understands only the language of force.”