Iran rejects US claim it started war

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected on Saturday a new US narrative that America did not start the war with Iran, but rather the Iranians did with the 1979 Revolution, ARY News reported.

Baqaei strongly rejected the US claim, saying that Washington was trying to evade responsibility for the catastrophic human, economic, and geopolitical consequences of its unlawful aggression against Iran.

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was about reclaiming the country's sovereignty, freedom, and human dignity, Baqaei said, adding that the bitter memory of American interference, particularly the 1953 CIA-backed coup, was still fresh in the minds of Iranians.

Baqaei also mentioned the US military aggression against Iran, including the February 28 joint military operation with Israel, which targeted Iran's Supreme Leader and senior officials, killing and wounding women and children, and destroying vital infrastructure.

The US administration has run into a military and political dead end and is trying to deny responsibility for starting the war and to conceal its failure to achieve its objectives behind a narrative of victory, Baqaei said.

The Iranian official also listed a series of US hostile actions against Iran, including the 1953 coup, support for Saddam's regime during the eight-year war, complicity with Iraq's use of chemical weapons, and the assassination of Qassem Soleimani.

The United States cannot escape responsibility for its decision to launch an unlawful war of choice against Iran, Baqaei said.

Background

The conflict between the US and Iran has a long history, dating back to the 1953 CIA-backed coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected government.

The US has imposed economic sanctions on Iran and has been involved in various military and intelligence operations against the country, including the assassination of Iranian officials and the destruction of infrastructure.