Speaking at his weekly press conference on Monday, Baqaei referred to Iran’s position on Bulgaria and other European developments, saying Tehran has made clear from the outset that the deployment of US military assets in Bulgaria was contrary to international law and amounted to support for US aggression against Iran.

He said countries would have no reason to be concerned about possible Iranian responses unless they have made their military bases available to an aggressor.

“It is Iran’s right to target the source and origin of an act of aggression,” Baqaei said, adding, “We will make no concessions in defending the existence of Iran.”

The spokesperson said Iran considers participation in facilitating attacks against it to constitute an aggressive act, reiterating that Tehran would respond to threats based on the source from which aggression is launched.

His comments came after two US Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft left Bulgaria’s Bezmer Air Base, nearly a month after their deployment there had drawn strong criticism from Iran. The US had requested the temporary deployment under an agreement governing the joint use of military facilities, while the Bulgarian parliament approved the deployment on July 22.

Iran had warned at the time that hosting the US aircraft could amount to complicity in “aggression and war crimes”. Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the two aircraft departed on Friday and that their flights during the temporary deployment had been training missions over allied countries.

Asked about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s remarks regarding the end of the war, Baqaei said Iranian officials have spoken very clearly about their determination to defend the country’s territory, stressing that Tehran would show no leniency toward aggressors.

He emphasized that Iran had not started the war but has defended its rights and territorial integrity. “We certainly were not the ones who started the war, but we will not allow the end of the war to be determined according to the conditions set by the aggressor,” Baqaei said.

He added that Pezeshkian had repeatedly stressed the Iranian people’s refusal to surrender and had made his position clear.

Regarding what the US calls an “economic war,” Baqaei said there is no doubt that Washington, which has claimed it would come to the aid of the Iranian people, is now using various instruments to punish Iran.

The spokesman said the necessary warnings have already been issued, adding that “any collusion with the United States in this plan will certainly have consequences.” Baqaei stressed that Iran is not defenseless and warned that countries are not free to cooperate with Washington in its economic campaign against Tehran.

His remarks echoed a broader warning from Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei, who has cautioned neighboring countries against joining the US economic campaign.

Rezaei said Tehran would initially engage with such countries diplomatically to dissuade them from participating, but warned that continued involvement could lead Iran to regard them as enemies and take action against them.