Iran does not endorse specific terms used against Armenia in the Istanbul Declaration adopted during the recent ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said.

“We believe the use of such words, which may imply territorial ambitions, is absolutely inappropriate,” Baghaei stated, commenting on the language used in reference to Armenia.

He emphasized that member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation can raise issues in collective documents that may not reflect the positions of all members, reports Armenpress.

“We have consistently supported peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Peace and security in the South Caucasus are important for us. We have good relations with both countries. However, we do not support the use of terms in this particular context (editor’s note: referring to the phrase ‘Western Azerbaijan community’), as such expressions may suggest territorial claims, which we find entirely inappropriate,” Baghaei added.

Earlier, Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Sobhanin had declared Tehran's firm rejection of any territorial demands infringing upon Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stressed that fabricated or misleading expressions contradict the principles of peace, neighborly relations, and international law.

On June 23, Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the declaration, expressing discontent over language that distorts reality.