Tehran reiterates: No letter received from U.S. president

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqayi said during a press conference on Monday that Iran has not received any letter from the US president.

In an interview on Friday, Trump claimed that he had sent a letter to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and proposed to negotiate with Iran on a new deal. Iran says it has not received any such letter, reiterating its position of not negotiating with Washington under pressure.

“Some foreign governments and domineering figures insist on negotiations, while their goal is not to resolve issues but to exert control and impose their own agendas,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on Saturday, dismissing the idea of negotiation with the U.S.

Baqayi also said during his presser that the most significant event in the past week was the extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, which was held at the proposal of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

He said the meeting specifically aimed to make a decision regarding the plot to forcibly displace the people of Gaza to neighboring countries.

“On the sidelines of the meeting, the foreign minister also held good discussions with his counterparts from several Islamic countries,” he added.

‘We are witnessing widespread violations of international humanitarian law’

In response to a question about the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly and Switzerland’s responsibility regarding international documents, Baqayi said the resolution, adopted in September 2014, called on Switzerland, as the custodian and initiator of international humanitarian law instruments, particularly the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure during armed conflicts.

He explained that the resolution called for holding a meeting to approve the provisions of international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza.

“We were very saddened and surprised that Switzerland ultimately decided not to hold this conference, and this issue was one of the matters discussed in the recent [OIC] meeting,” he said.

“The foreign ministers of the OIC also expressed regret over the cancellation of this conference. We do not pass judgment, but the reality is that over the past two years, there have been widespread violations of international humanitarian law, yet no response has been observed from those who consider themselves the custodians of this matter.”

Recent events in Syria ‘a crucial test’ for the new rulers: Baqayi

Addressing the situation in Syria, Baqayi expressed deep concerns about distressing and tragic incidents as well as reports of insecurity, violence, and hostage-taking in various parts of the Arab country.

“Any act of violence, killing, and attacks on military personnel is condemned and cannot be justified in any way. The targeting of segments of the Alawite, Christian, Druze, and other minorities has truly wounded human emotions and conscience both in the region and internationally,” he said.

He described the tragic events as a very serious and real test for Syria’s rulers to fulfill their responsibilities in safeguarding the lives and property of all Syrians, adding that this responsibility also extends to all parties that consider themselves influential in Syria’s developments.

“We have conveyed our concerns through appropriate channels to the countries that have a presence and influence in Syria, and we sincerely hope that the killings and violence against different segments of the Syrian people will come to an end,” the spokesman said.

Israel's brutalities against Palestinians 

Referring to the Israeli regime's ongoing genocidal atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip that have claimed the lives of at least 48,450 people, mostly women and children, Baqayi pointed to the Islamic Republic’s call on various countries to impose sanctions on the regime as a means of punishing it for the atrocities.

"The demand for an end to any form of support for this regime has been put forward. If we acknowledge that genocide has occurred in Gaza, including the cutting off of water and electricity, which is beyond doubt, then, under the Genocide Convention, countries have obligations to use all means available to stop the genocide," Baqayi said.

The spokesperson said that the first step towards enacting the sanctions was to halt the supply of weapons to the regime.

“This is a demand of Islamic countries and was explicitly stated in the Jeddah summit resolution,” Baqayi said while referring to the resolution that was passed at the end of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah earlier this month.

“Countries must cease all trade relations with the regime. This is not limited to Islamic countries. Just two weeks ago, the African Union also addressed this issue in its resolutions," the spoesperson said.