Baghaei calls the U.S. fighting "an overt military aggression" against Iran
Esmaeil BaghaeiSpokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a press briefing
In a press briefing after Vance's remark, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, as quoted by Al Arabiya English, that the fighting is "an overt military aggression against Iran's national sovereignty and territorial integrity." Al Arabiya reported that he described the conflict as not a war but as that aggression.
Responding to
Vice President JD Vance said he would not call the U.S. fight with Iran a war, saying there is no active shooting right now and that major combat operations lasted about six weeks.
“it is an overt military aggression against Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Reporting
Original post
Where this statement fits
Is the U.S. fight with Iran a war, as Vice President Vance says it is not?
At a White House press briefing on September 3, 2026, Vice President JD Vance was asked whether the fighting with Iran would be over before the midterm elections. He said, "I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting," and said major combat operations lasted about six weeks. The next day President Trump said he calls it "a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us." Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Thomas Massie and Democrat Amy McGrath, a former Marine pilot, criticized the description or Trump's defense of it. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. is "still in a conflict, for sure," and, as quoted by Al Arabiya English, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the fighting "an overt military aggression." The dispute is whether describing the fighting as not a war is an accurate and acceptable characterization.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Al Arabiya English's report, published September 7, 2026, on the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson's press briefing that day. The English wording of Baghaei's remark is as published by Al Arabiya.
Original post
About this source
Al Arabiya English's video post pairing a clip of Vance's remark with a clip of Baghaei's response. The video carries English subtitles.
Before the quotation
Vance had said at the September 3 White House briefing that he would not call the fighting a war.
After the quotation
Al Arabiya reported that Baghaei also said a Qatari delegation was in Iran on Sunday to help de-escalate tension between the U.S. and Iran.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Baghaei disputes Vance's description and offers a different one, saying the fighting is an overt military aggression against Iran's sovereignty. He replaces the label rather than denouncing Vance's statement as such, so challenges the characterization fits better than condemns.
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The Dispute Index. "Baghaei calls the U.S. fighting "an overt military aggression" against Iran". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2707-in-a-press-briefing-after-vance-s-remark