Iran has expressed disappointment over Bangladesh’s official response to the recent joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, saying Tehran had expected a stronger and clearer condemnation from Dhaka as a fellow Muslim-majority country.
Speaking at a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday, Iranian Ambassador Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi said Iran was “hurt” by the wording of Bangladesh’s statement, which voiced concern over the attacks but stopped short of directly condemning them.
“We expected Bangladesh to denounce the aggression,” the envoy said, adding that countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, and even Spain had taken a firmer public position.
Despite the dissatisfaction, the ambassador said Iran does not plan to send any formal protest letter to Bangladesh over the issue. Instead, he indicated that he may raise the matter personally in a future meeting with Bangladesh’s prime minister. He noted that he had recently held a cordial exchange with the premier at an Eid অনুষ্ঠান.
Addressing the wider regional crisis, the Iranian envoy argued that Iran is not targeting neighboring Muslim countries, but rather U.S. military bases located within those states. He said countries that allow such bases on their soil bear responsibility for civilian casualties resulting from retaliatory strikes.
At the same time, the ambassador stressed that Iran remains committed to strengthening ties with Bangladesh. He said Tehran would welcome any peace initiative by Dhaka in the Middle East and assured full cooperation in facilitating the safe return of Bangladeshi nationals currently in Iran.
He also urged Bangladesh, as a member of both the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to adopt a more explicit stance against violations of international law.