Iran's ambassador: Missiles toward Türkiye 'a question mark for us too'

2026-03-13 - 11:23

Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh addressed the recent missile incident involving Turkish airspace during a press conference Friday, expressing confusion about the source of the projectiles and suggesting that "third elements" may be attempting to damage fraternal relations between the two neighboring countries. Joint investigation proposed "The missiles fired toward Türkiye are a question mark for us too. How could such a thing happen? In our opinion, these could be done by third elements whose efforts are to harm the friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries," Habibollahzadeh stated. He revealed that Tehran has proposed forming a joint technical team to closely examine the incident but is still awaiting implementation. The ambassador emphasized Iran's respect for Türkiye's national sovereignty, noting that both countries' armed forces and foreign ministries have issued statements denying the firing of any munitions. US abandoned negotiations, triggering war Addressing the broader conflict, Habibollahzadeh asserted that the war began when the United States abandoned the negotiating table, betraying diplomacy. He recalled that nuclear negotiations had reached the technical stage when attacks commenced, noting that the process had been initiated with the advice of regional countries, particularly Türkiye, with the last talks beginning in Istanbul. "We did not attack anyone. They attacked us. We were in a negotiation process, sincerely negotiating, and they attacked us and betrayed the negotiations," he said. Self-defense against ongoing attacks The ambassador described Iran as facing an unequal war, stating "We are in a legitimate state of self-defense. We are defending our country. Even as I speak to you now, our country is being subjected to attacks of various magnitudes." He reported that hospitals, infrastructure, municipalities, banks, and many civilians have been targeted, with civilians losing their lives. "We are doing nothing but defending ourselves," he added. Dialogue with neighbors continues Habibollahzadeh noted that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has maintained telephone contact with regional leaders including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Pakistani Prime Minister, the Sultan of Oman, and the Iraqi President to ensure coordination with neighboring countries. He expressed hope that "peace, stability and tranquility will soon return to our region," despite what he described as "traps created by Israel in the region." The ambassador reiterated that Iran's fundamental stance remains one of peace and stability.