“Perpetrators of 9/11 were not Iranians”: Baghaei slams Hegseth for using 9/11 anniversary to “justify” war against Iran

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has criticized comments made by United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth regarding the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Baghaei accused the U.S. government of using the anniversary to justify military actions against Iran.

During a 9/11 memorial ceremony, Hegseth described recent U.S. military operations against Iran as part of a broader counterterrorism mission. Hegseth stated that the U.S. had targeted Iranian military assets, including naval vessels and air force capabilities, and asserted that the U.S. would continue to apply economic and military pressure on the country. He characterized the Iranian government as a state sponsor of terrorism that has historically supported attacks against American personnel.

In response, Baghaei issued a statement on social media rejecting any connection between Iran and the 9/11 attacks. He argued that the perpetrators of the 2001 attacks were not Iranian and claimed that the individuals responsible were cultivated by the United States in previous decades. Baghaei further criticized the U.S. approach to counterterrorism, describing the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as destructive and questioning the legitimacy of U.S. military operations against Iran.

The September 11, 2001, attacks involved 19 al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked four commercial aircraft, resulting in the deaths of 2,977 people. The attacks targeted the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and a field in Pennsylvania.

Article and image source: newzealandstar.com