Iran and Israel each held press conferences in Seoul on the 5th to announce their respective positions on the recently erupted war between them. The two sides mounted a battle for public opinion while criticizing each other.

At a morning press conference at the embassy in Seoul, along with a separately distributed summary of remarks, Iran’s Ambassador Saeid Kouzechi said the attacks by Israel and the United States were “military aggression.” He said, “It is an act that directly violates the UN Charter and constitutes the illegal use of force.”

Kouzechi said, “The first victims of the aggression were young schoolgirls,” adding, “165 young students lost their lives and 60 students were seriously injured.” He said, “This amounts to war crimes and human rights violations.” Earlier, Iranian authorities said that on the 28th of last month an elementary school in Minab was bombed in airstrikes by Israel and the United States, and that 165 students were killed. Kouzechi said, “Iran’s response is not retaliation but self-defense, and it will continue until the aggression is completely halted.”

With Iran engaged in nuclear talks with the United States, he called the airstrikes “a clear betrayal of diplomacy,” saying they show that “the United States has been using diplomacy as a means for military operations.” In response to a question about whether there is room for additional negotiations with the United States going forward, he said, “They must stop the aggression against Iran.” He added, “Given the current illegal and all-out attacks, we cannot sit at any negotiating table,” and said, “Seeing U.S. forces use Arab countries as military bases to attack Iran, I think the war could last longer.”

He said, “Iran has always advocated denuclearization, and our position remains the same,” adding, “As the international community well knows, nuclear weapons are possessed not by Iran but by the Israeli regime.”

Israel’s Ambassador Rafael Harpaz also held a press conference at a building in Seoul that morning, asserting the legitimacy of the military operation and saying it was “to neutralize Iran’s nuclear development facilities and ballistic missile production.”

He also said that “another goal is to enable Iranian citizens to dream of the future they want,” adding that it is for “them to become free citizens.” The remarks were interpreted as leaving open the possibility that Israel and the United States aim to create conditions for regime change in Iran through this attack, or to attempt regime change directly.

Harpaz said, “More than 30,000 innocent civilians have been killed in Iran,” adding, “We cannot stand idly by.” Large-scale protests erupted in Iran late last month due to the economic crisis, and there have been reports that around 30,000 people may have been killed in the crackdown.

Regarding Iran’s announcement that 165 students were killed in the airstrikes, Harpaz said, “We are investigating,” while adding, “Israel has never intentionally struck civilian facilities.” He said, “There is a lot of fake news in Iran. I hope people will not be misled.”

Responding to Iran’s claim that “the airstrikes occurred during nuclear talks and diplomacy could have been pursued,” he countered that “for decades Iran has deceived the international community about its nuclear program,” arguing that opportunities were given to resolve the issue peacefully but delays merely bought time for nuclear development. He added, “The fact that Iran enriched uranium to 60% is evidence that it will be used not for civilian purposes but for weapons.”