Esmail Baghaei, the official spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has addressed the recent diplomatic fallout sparked by social media publications from Iranian diplomatic missions concerning the historic city of Samarkand. The posts triggered an immediate backlash and protest from Tashkent, forcing the Iranian side to attempt damage control by claiming that bilateral ties between Iran and Uzbekistan are supposedly rooted in deep historical connections rather than recent developments.

According to the Iranian representative, the contentious online statements published by embassy personnel were purportedly directed at the American side rather than intended to provoke regional friction. The spokesperson asserted that Tehran allegedly places great importance on its relations with Tashkent, expressing confidence that shared heritage across neighboring territories will continue to serve as a baseline for friendly relations between the populations.

The controversy initially erupted when the Iranian Embassy in Armenia responded to a publication by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding his visit to Samarkand, inappropriately labeling the historic Uzbek city as part of 'Persian civilization and architecture.' This narrative infringement prompted immediate concern and formal condemnation within Uzbekistan.

Consequently, Mohammad Ali Eskandari, the Ambassador of Iran to Uzbekistan, was summoned to the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a formal note of protest was handed over to him. The ministry explicitly demanded the immediate removal of the offending publications from all official channels of Iranian diplomatic missions and insisted that concrete measures be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Source: uznews.uz