Iran’s foreign minister slams US military deployment to Persian Gulf
Abbas Araghchi says Washington attempting to dictate Iran’s military conduct near its shores
ISTANBUL
Iran's foreign minister on Saturday criticized the US military presence in the Persian Gulf, saying Washington is attempting to dictate how Tehran conducts military activity near its own borders.
In a statement posted on the US social media company X, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi highlighted the geographic distance between the US and Iran by attaching a map image to his post, highlighting the distance between the two countries, with the Strait of Hormuz marked to underscore Iran’s proximity to the strategic waterway.
“Operating off our shores, the US military is now attempting to dictate how our Powerful Armed Forces should conduct target practice in their own turf,” he said.
He also criticized US Central Command (CENTCOM) for calling for “professionalism” from Iran’s military while Washington and the EU designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
“This is the level of absurdity the world is now facing,” Araghchi wrote, adding that European governments have chosen to align themselves with such policies.
The foreign minister said the IRGC has always been “the protector of peace and stability in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.”
“In our region, it is wisely known as a formidable force which has proven itself on the battlefield against both terrorists and invading militaries,” he added.
Araghchi stressed that freedom of navigation and the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait are of vital importance to Iran and its neighbors, arguing that “the presence of outside forces in our region has always caused the exact opposite of what is declared: promoting escalation instead of de-escalation.”
His remarks come amid an ongoing US military buildup in the Persian Gulf region and tensions with Iran. The US President Donald Trump keeps threatening Iran and said Saturday that “the US has sent a large fleet toward Iran, larger than forces it has deployed in Venezuela.”
On Thursday, Iran said it will conduct live-fire naval exercises next week in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions with Washington and fears of a possible US strike on the country.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.
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