In a message posted on X on Tuesday, Esmaeil Baqaei said that on August 25, 1941, Iran was brutally invaded for the second time in less than three decades, despite the country’s official declaration of neutrality.
Soviet forces attacked from the north and east, while British forces advanced from the south and west by land and air, he said.
Baqaei added that the Iranian imperial army collapsed within days, major cities were occupied and the entire country fell under foreign occupation. He noted that the Shah abdicated only 22 days after the invasion and was subsequently exiled to a British-controlled territory in the Indian Ocean.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Iranian people would never forget the bitter experience. He stressed that, beyond the destruction, loss of life and plunder of Iranian property, the occupation inflicted a profound insult on the dignity of a nation that had played no role in starting the world wars.
Iran, having overcome major crises with strength and resilience, is now facing another “decisive test,” he stated.
Baqaei emphasized that experience has taught Iranians that protecting the country’s national dignity and independence requires “self-confidence and a firm determination to resist.”
He concluded that national power in all its dimensions remains “the only effective deterrent” against foreign demands and aggression.