Iran’s Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau, Hassan Doutaghi, accused the US and Israel of being “aggressors” who “assassinated the supreme leader” and invaded his country – and insisted that Middle East nations do not need “imported security.”
Doutaghi described Iran as a nation under siege but resilient, with Iranian people “decisive, determined, and resilient.”
“The argument is very clear. They are the aggressor. They invaded my country. They assassinated the supreme leader of my country.” He called on all nations to “voice condemnation” and for the international community to hold the US and Israel accountable.
Doutaghi sent an appreciation letter to The Standard for two editorials – one on March 16 about China’s restraint helping avoid global conflict, and another on March 17 calling for preservation of Persian heritage. Doutaghi accused Western media of burying atrocities, citing a school bombing that killed 168 children as a “heinous” war crime. “The international legal system does not deserve to continue. It is being violated by its very creators.”
On the global energy crunch, he blamed US-Israeli attacks. “The Strait of Hormuz is not closed,” he said, accusing Washington of attempting a “naval blockade” against Iran. Responsibility for the economic fallout, he argued, “lies with the aggressors, not the victim.” He defended Iran’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
On nuclear ambitions, he said diplomacy is the only solution but the West is an “unreliable partner.” He insisted Iran’s activities are “completely peaceful” – a fact confirmed multiple times by the International Atomic Energy Agency – with Iran accounting for only 3 percent of global peaceful enrichment.
Asked about Israel’s CG Amir Lati’s accusation that Iran sponsors terrorism via Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, Doutaghi refused to engage. “I am not talking to any representative of the other regime. My country is rooted more than 7,000 years. We are very civilized. A genocidal regime does not have any legitimacy to talk about Iran.”
“We don’t need imported security... US security is a big lie,” he stressed, adding that Middle East powers can protect themselves and that the recent conflict has exposed Western unreliability. “The world is witnessing the rise of alliances led by the Global South, determined to resist the law of the jungle.”
On domestic unrest predating the war, Doutaghi acknowledged constitutional rights to protest but said demonstrations were “misused by small quasi-terrorist groups.” He alleged foreign entities tried to burn the Quran and damage public buildings. “They tried to bring the people of Iran to their knees, but it has made Iran more united and stronger.
Hassan Doutaghi hopes to bring a touring exhibition of Persian antiquities to Hong Kong – a glimpse of a civilization under siege. More than 150 historical artifacts recently completed a run in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, and will visit other Chinese cities.
Millennia of Persian-Chinese exchanges date back to 119 BCE, when Han envoy Zhang Qian reached the Parthian Empire. The “Chinoiserie” style appeared in miniature Persian paintings. Persian blue-and-white ceramics, reminiscent of Chinese porcelains, were made using cobalt paint originally imported from Persia to China.
In Hong Kong, this legacy lives on through the tiny Parsi community. Descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who migrated to India, the Parsis were among the city’s earliest non-British settlers; a Parsi cemetery remains in Happy Valley. Parsis founded the University of Hong Kong, Ruttonjee Hospital, and the Star Ferry. A Zoroastrian prayer hall in Causeway Bay still maintains a sacred fire.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization.” More than 130 heritage sites have been damaged, including the Unesco-listed Golestan Palace in Tehran.
Despite tensions, he reported overwhelming sympathy from Hong Kong. Officials signed a book of condolences; a resident even called in tears. The Muslim community, both Sunni and Shia, rallied in support. He praised Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu for instilling unity after the Wang Fuk Court fire and for carrying out the 2025 Legislative Council election.
Doutaghi called sanctions an “anti-human term.” He noted growing ties with Hong Kong. Cooperation with China continues via non-dollar channels and the Belt and Road Initiative. He pushed for wider use of non-dollar currencies; Iran has proposed the yuan for oil trading – giving rise to the term “petroyuan.”
Iranian students and professionals live and work in Hong Kong. Saffron, the famous spice, shares its name with a local Persian restaurant.
At the Iranian consulate, there was no security check at all.
Consul General Hassan Doutaghi, however, only allowed pre-submitted questions. For each, he had a well-prepared answer.
Next to his office is a somber room, with a black-clothed desk and a book of condolences. Photographs of victims and ruins from recent US-Israeli attacks line the walls, surrounding the portrait of former Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei. The 90-minute interview included 20 minutes of the CG painstakingly explaining the stories behind the photos.
A diplomat with a PhD in history, Doutaghi arrived in Hong Kong last year. He also takes pride in his office’s handicrafts – Persian carpets, Minakari enamel art, Khatam office sets, and intricate Koranic verse art. One piece depicted Abraham sacrificing his son, a biblical theme from a poem by the Persian poet Ferdowsi.
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𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
