Iranian deputy foreign minister labels US 'terrorists' and issues warning to Australia over actions in Middle East

One of Iran's deputy foreign ministers, Esmaeil Baghaei, has told 7.30 that Australia's military assets in the Gulf may become a target and accused the United States of "terrorist acts".

The comments about Australia came after the government deployed an E7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, 85 personnel and defensive air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates last week.

Mr Baghaei told 7.30 that Iran will not distinguish between countries acting in an aggressive or defensive capacity.

"We cannot recognise, we cannot distinguish between offensive and defensive operation."

Asked if that meant Australian assets in the Persian Gulf were targets for Iran, he said they could be.

"We have the inherent right to self-defence against offensive or defensive operation against us," Mr Baghaei said.

"We cannot recognise that those military assets are being deployed to intercept are missiles or drones against the aggressors would be regarded simply as defensive.

"That's going to be part of this aggression."

He then turned his attention to other actions undertaken by Australia, including the offer of asylum to members of Iran's women's football team after their appearance at the Asian Cup.

He claimed the players were taken "hostage" and it was yet another act by the Australian government that showed its support for the US and Israel.

Asked how he could say the players were taken hostage, Mr Baghaei said:

"When they first they were invited to go to a room under the pretext of clarifying the doping or something like that, then they put a paper beside them, 'please sign these papers, you can be given asylum, you can be given all what you need'."

He then accused Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke of posturing.

'Terrorist acts'

During the wide-ranging interview, Mr Baghaei also accused Israel and the US of committing "terrorist acts" when they assassinated former ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The United States and Israel have attacked against Iran," Mr Baghaei said from Tehran.

 "Let's call a spade a spade, this is an illegal war imposed on Iran, imposed on the whole region and has consequences for the whole international community. 

"We understand that you are concerned about the groceries price, but we are concerned about the everyday lives of our citizens.

That war started when the United States launched strikes on Iran, claiming it posed an imminent nuclear threat.

However, just last June, Mr Trump had claimed on Truth Social that the US had done large-scale damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities, causing questions about his motives for this war.

"Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Mr Trump said in June 2025.

"Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier." 

The strikes that started this war killed Khamenei and several top Iranian officials.

"This is a nasty war," Mr Baghaei said.

"I think we are moving towards a very dark era if the Western countries … have control over the know-how to kill … the leaders of another country, assassinating them through terrorist activities must be alarming to the whole international community. "

Asked if Iran would retaliate, Mr Baghaei issued a veiled threat.

"Iranian armed forces are determined or willing and capable of defending our country, defending our sovereignty with all might," he said.

"The leaders of any country are symbols of the sovereignty of that nation."

Holding the world to ransom

A significant consequence of the war in Iran has been the slowing of global fuel supply through the Strait of Hormuz.

The result has seen fuel prices across the world skyrocket as Iran controls the Strait.

Asked if Iran was "trying to make the entire world suffer" to put pressure on America, Mr Baghaei said Iran was justified in its actions.

That was due not only to the deaths of people in his nation but also to the strikes on Iranian infrastructure, and that this was, in his view, a fair retaliatory action.

"They are using their military bases in the Persian Gulf countries to target Iranian institutions," Mr Baghaei told 7.30.

"They exploded [a plant] using the territory of one of our neighbouring countries in the Persian Gulf. 

"If the Western people are concerned about this war, they have to blame the United States and Israel. 

"Did we start this war? No."

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