In a message posted on his X account on Friday evening, Baqaei contrasted French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks that a country must be powerful enough to be feared with his insistence that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons, despite Tehran’s position that its nuclear program is peaceful.

The Iranian spokesperson argued that France considers its own nuclear deterrent essential to its security and freedom but portrays a similar rationale as a threat when it comes to Iran, even when discussing a peaceful civilian nuclear program under international monitoring.

“During a test of a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, French President Emmanuel Macron declared: ‘To be free, one must be feared, and to be feared, one must be powerful’,” he wrote in a post in French language.

“Yet he himself states, regarding Iran, which has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons: ‘Iran must never possess nuclear weapons. Not today, not in five years, not in ten years. Never,’” Baqaei said.

“The question is not why France possesses a nuclear deterrent. The real question is why a logic that, in France’s eyes, guarantees its security and freedom suddenly becomes a ‘threat’ when it comes to Iran, even when discussing a civilian, peaceful nuclear program subject to international monitoring,” he added.

“The harsh reality is this: They do not want peace for everyone. They want to maintain a monopoly on the power that inspires fear and on the legitimacy to intimidate. They intend to remain powerful, nuclear-armed and, of course, fearsome, while imposing restrictions on others — including countries that simply seek to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes — by brandishing the specter of a supposed ‘nuclear threat,’” he said.

“A peace in which nuclear powers consider their own weapons guarantees of their freedom and security, but describe the same logic as a threat when invoked by others, is not genuine peace. It is a monopoly on power founded on a sense of superiority,” Baqaei stated.

“An international order that does not recognize everyone’s right to security and peace does more to promote the domination of a small circle of powers than to protect peace itself,” he stated.