Tehran: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says the US 'war of choice' was an unlawful and unprovoked aggression aimed at collapsing the country, but instead shattered the illusion of Washington's absolute power and moral standing.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, in a post on his X account on Thursday, Baqaei remarked on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Rais Ali Delvari, a symbol of Iran's resistance to British imperialism. He drew parallels between historical resistance to imperial powers and current events, suggesting that the US's actions reflect a misunderstanding of Iran's history and culture.

Baqaei referenced Scott Bessent's analogy of Iran with his childhood memories of dealing with venomous snakes in South Carolina. Baqaei criticized Bessent's interpretation, indicating that it underestimated Iran's rich historical and cultural depth, comparing it to the limited view of a backyard.

Highlighting the resistance against the British Empire over a century ago, Baqaei noted that despite the killing of Rais Ali Delvari, the spirit of defiance continued. He suggested that the US's aggressive actions intended to collapse Iran instead led to the collapse of the illusion of its own absolute power and moral authority.

Baqaei concluded by emphasizing that history's judgment is clear for those who, like the childhood heroes Bessent described, wield tools of destruction without understanding the depth of the culture and resistance they face.