Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei has criticized the United States by referring to it as a “decaying civilization.” He made the remark by quoting a passage from Martinican poet and political thinker Aimé Césaire’s renowned anti-colonial work, “Discourse on Colonialism.” The statement was reported on May 16, 2026. Césaire’s 1950 text sharply condemned European imperialism and the moral contradictions embedded within colonial civilization.

The quoted passage describes a civilization as decaying when it fails to solve its own problems, sick when it ignores its most pressing issues, and dying when it betrays its own principles. Baghaei’s use of this literary reference was aimed at framing his critique of the United States within a broader philosophical and moral context.

According to the report, Baghaei has previously drawn on literary figures to interpret geopolitical events. In an earlier opinion piece published by Al Jazeera, he invoked the 12th-century Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar to explain a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.