Tehran [Iran], September 20 : Iran hit back at the White House on Saturday (local time), saying most of the accusations levelled against Tehran actually describe actions initiated, carried out or supported by the United States, as tensions between the two countries remain high ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei made the remarks in a post on X while responding to a lengthy list of accusations issued by the White House against Iran.
“The White House spokesperson has issued a lengthy list of accusations against Iran. With striking precision, most of these charges describe the very actions the United States itself has initiated, perpetrated, or supported,” Baqaei said.
“This flight from reality and act of projection should come as no surprise,” he added, quoting Proverbs 28:1.
According to Fars News Agency, Baqaei also cautioned Iranian officials travelling to New York against sending any signal that could be interpreted by the country's adversaries as weakness.
“We must certainly be cautious during the trip to New York to ensure no signal is sent that the enemy could interpret as weakness on the Iranian side,” he said, according to Fars.
Baqaei said Iran's participation in the UN General Assembly was a right that Tehran intended to exercise despite the tensions.
“The trip to New York holds no appeal for Iranian diplomats. Participating in the UN General Assembly is our right, and we must use this gathering to loudly proclaim the justice of the Iranian nation,” he said.
His comments came after US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott criticised Iranian officials ahead of their visit to New York, accusing them of seeking to use the UNGA trip for luxury shopping.
“Not on our watch,” Pigott said in a post on X, alleging that Iranian officials could engage in shopping using money derived from the Iranian people's suffering.
The US State Department has approved visas for Iran's core delegation to attend the UNGA High-Level Week, while saying the delegation would face travel restrictions and prohibitions on purchasing luxury and other goods.
Iran's delegation reportedly includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The 81st UNGA High-Level Week is being held from September 18 to 28 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz and wider disagreements between the two countries.