Iranian MFA spokesperson accuses US of relying on “lies”

The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of relying excessively on “lies” in its approach to Iran and the wider region, invoking a passage from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov.

The official, who also heads Iran’s Centre for Public Diplomacy, shared the reference in a post on X, saying the passage aptly described what he considers the current state of the US system of governance and foreign policy toward Iran and the region, Caliber.Az reports.

This passage from Dostoevsky’s "The Brothers Karamazov" aptly describes the situation in which the U.S. system of governance & foreign policy regarding Iran and the region finds itself due to its extreme reliance on 'lies':

"The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie…

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) August 15, 2026

“The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others,” he quoted Dostoevsky. 

By Sabina Mammadli