Iran has warned countries against getting involved in its war with the US and Israel as Trump demands international escorts for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
tehran: Iran issued a stern warning to countries against getting involved in its conflict with the United States and Israel.
The warning comes after President Donald Trump called on world powers to block oil tankers from transiting through the vital Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Picture) also sent a strong message to Iran’s Arab neighbors. He said the Islamic Republic had “substantial evidence” that US bases in their territories were used to launch attacks.
“This war will end when we are assured that it will not be repeated and reparations will be paid,” Araghchi told Arabic-language news platform Al-Arabi Al-Jadid.
He referred to last year’s conflict, which was triggered by an Israeli air war before US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Global energy prices have soared since Iran threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 20% of global oil and gas exports.
Trump urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain to send escort ships. The listed countries have so far offered only guarded or non-committal responses to the request.
Araghchi warned them to “refrain from any action that could escalate and expand the conflict”. Global oil prices have surged 40% since Iran closed vital sea lanes and attacked regional energy targets.
The attacks were in retaliation for the US and Israeli air campaign that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Trump suggested in a weekend interview that he might bomb Iran’s Kharg Island oil center “just for fun.”
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms are just not good enough,” Trump told NBC News. Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, daily life in Tehran showed signs of returning to normal. Traffic increased ahead of the Persian New Year and some cafes and restaurants reopened.
In a separate development, the captain of Iran’s women’s football team withdrew her bid for asylum. She became the fifth team member to change her mind after playing in the Asian Cup in Australia.
Rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening their relatives. More than 1,200 people were killed in the American and Israeli attacks, according to Iranian health ministry figures.
The UN refugee agency says 3.2 million people are displaced within Iran. The Pentagon says more than 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit.
