Tehran Warns of 'Fragile' Relations with West Amid Oil Reserve Claims

Tehran: Relations between Iran and the West are now at their most fragile and explosive point in history. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has claimed in a sensational press conference that the real intention of the United States is not democracy, but the illegal seizure of Iran's immense oil reserves in violation of its sovereignty. According to Baghaei, Washington is conspiring to divide Iran by weakening it internally so that it remains dominant in the Middle East. He further warned that as long as the military aggression on Iranian borders continues, it is futile to hope for any kind of peace talks or cease-fire. Amid this political heat, Iran has clarified the direction under its new leadership. After the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint attack on February 28, 2026, his son Mojtaba Khamenei took a hard line against the West as soon as he took power. Iranian intelligence agencies and the "Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran" Baghaei, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian Armed Forces, accused Baghaei of this pathological solution.