Iran’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Alireza Haghighiyan, said that the United States and Israel have failed to achieve their objectives in the conflict with the Islamic Republic. He made the statement at a press conference in Dushanbe on March 16.
According to the diplomat, Tehran is currently focusing all its efforts on defending the country. He noted that the U.S. and Israel had planned to overthrow Iran’s political system within 48 hours, but the country’s armed forces, with public support, thwarted those plans.
Haghighiyan said that more than 1,200 civilians were killed during the conflict, but emphasized that “the adversary did not achieve any of its goals.”
He stressed that Iran was prepared for various scenarios but was not the initiator of the conflict. “We did not start this war, and it was not our choice,” he said.
The ambassador also recalled earlier stages of the confrontation, including the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, as well as subsequent escalations, including the so-called “12-day war” and events during Ramadan.
According to him, the U.S. presence in the region “not only does not contribute to security, but is itself a source of instability and division among Muslim countries.”
Speaking about Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the ambassador described him as “a theologian, a wise and courageous man,” raised in the school of his father, Ali Khamenei.
Haghighiyan also stated that Iran is not currently holding negotiations with the United States. He noted that Tehran has experience of being attacked during negotiation processes.
“In the current situation, we have directed all our capabilities and potential toward defending the country and are not thinking about anything else,” he said.
Commenting on economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran, the diplomat noted that export and import operations continue as usual and no major disruptions are expected.
At the same time, businesses importing goods from Iran are already reporting rising prices in Tajikistan.
