Iranian Ambassador to Kenya: USA and Israel’s plan is to defeat Iran as an independent country
By Kenneth Mwenda, March 12, 2026Iranian Ambassador to Kenya, Ali Gholampour, has stated that the United States and Israel are pursuing a plan to defeat Iran as an independent country.
He made the remarks during an interview with a local radio station on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
“So this is their overall plan to defeat Iran as an independent country,” he told the radio station. “They are following their own new imperialistic era of governing the whole world.”
Gholampour traced the roots of the conflict back 47 years. He said it began when the Iranian people overthrew a despotic regime that acted as a proxy for the United States.
“Through that proxy, the United States had full control over the people, the resources, and the policies of Iran at that time. Then the United States had to leave the country; they lost all control, especially over the resources,” he said.
He described how the US tried to regain influence through a series of aggressive actions, including an eight-year war against Iran by supporting Saddam Hussein.
“They equipped Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons, weapons of mass destruction. He attacked not only his people but also the Iranian people and killed many,” the ambassador said.
After failing to regain control, Gholampour said the US turned to economic pressure.
“They imposed severe and unprecedented sanctions and embargoes, preventing trade and investment. They tried to bring a new independent country to its knees,” he said.
Maximum pressure against Iran
The ambassador said this policy of “maximum pressure” continued under President Donald Trump.
“All options are on the table,” he said. “From political to economic and military operations, this is their plan to defeat Iran.”
Gholampour also criticised Israel’s role. He said negotiations that began in June 2025 were interrupted by attacks.
“In the middle of those negotiations, they betrayed and attacked. Netanyahu and Israel did not want to resolve this issue through peaceful means. They live in war. Peace is an existential threat to them,” he said.
He described how the attacks lasted 12 days before a ceasefire was requested.
“We accepted that ceasefire because we believe in resolving issues through diplomatic and peaceful means,” he said.
The ambassador also discussed a second round of negotiations mediated by the Sultanate of Oman. He said these talks were similarly disrupted by attacks under the pretext of a “pre-emptive” strategy.
“Pre-emptive theory has no place in international law. It is imaginary and subjective. It is like saying, ‘I feel you may attack me in the future, so I attack you first.’ It has no legal basis,” he said.
Gholampour characterised the US and Israel’s actions as part of a long-term strategy to prevent Iran from standing on its own.
“They continued their policies under the umbrella of maximum pressure. They fabricated narratives to justify attacks. Their plan was to attack Iran, and it was pre-planned,” he said.
Throughout the interview, the ambassador framed the US and Israel as consistent aggressors in global conflicts.
“The United States is around 280 years old. Israel is almost 80 years. They have always been at war except for a brief period. This is their nature,” he said.