Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei declared on Monday, 26 October 2026, that the result of Israel's parliamentary election on 27 October would have no bearing on Tehran's policies or posture. Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei accused Israel of bringing nothing to West Asia but 'violence and massacre,' and reiterated Iran's right to self-defence.

Baghaei's Key Statements

The spokesman directly addressed Israeli officials' claims that Iran might launch preemptive strikes to disrupt the election, calling such assertions a distraction and warning that Israel was 'highly adept at carrying out false-flag operations.' He said Iran's armed forces would not hesitate to defend the country's territory, adding that Iran was in a state of war and fully prepared to exercise its right to self-defence.

Baghaei also accused Israel of continuing what he described as 'genocide' against Palestinians, framing Israeli threats against Iran as part of a broader pattern of hostile conduct rather than legitimate security concerns.

Araghchi's Warning on the Strait of Hormuz

In a separate and strategically significant development, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday, 25 October, that the management of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil chokepoint — would no longer operate as it once did. Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran, Araghchi said 'fundamental and strategic' changes had taken place in West Asia following what he called the 'US-Israeli war against Iran.'

'We must accept that new realities have taken hold. The routes in the Strait of Hormuz will not be the same as they once were, and the strait's management will also not be as it was in the past,' Araghchi said. He added that negotiations on the matter were ongoing and would continue.

Regional Security and Foreign Forces

Araghchi stressed that security in the region must be guaranteed by regional nations themselves, without dependence on foreign forces. He argued that outside powers had entered the region primarily to serve their own interests and protect Israel, and that their continued presence would 'lead to nothing but insecurity for the entire region.' He nonetheless signalled that Iran remained open to cooperation with all neighbouring countries.

Context and Implications

The statements come at a period of heightened tension across West Asia, with Iran and Israel having exchanged direct strikes in previous months. Tehran's pointed remarks about the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of global oil supplies transit — carry immediate market implications and signal that Iran is leveraging its geographic position as part of its strategic calculus. Notably, this is the second consecutive week in which senior Iranian officials have publicly addressed both the election and the waterway in the same news cycle, suggesting a coordinated messaging effort. How regional actors and global energy markets respond to the Hormuz warning will be closely watched in the days ahead.