Iran on Sunday warned other countries against getting involved in its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel, following calls by former US President Donald Trump for world powers to escort oil tankers through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran also issued a stern message to its Arab neighbours, claiming that US military bases on their territories were being used to launch attacks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Arabic-language platform Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, “This war will end when we are certain that it will not be repeated and that reparations will be paid.”
Araghchi referenced last year’s brief 14-day conflict, when Israel carried out airstrikes, followed by limited US involvement targeting Iranian nuclear sites. He warned that escalation could repeat if foreign powers intervened.
Energy prices have surged globally since Iran threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a passage responsible for roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas exports.
In response, Donald Trump urged countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to deploy ships to escort oil tankers, while the US military continues targeting drone, boat, and missile launch sites in northern Iranian territory near the strait.
However, the countries named by Trump have given cautious responses. Araghchi, in a call with French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, urged restraint, warning against any actions that could escalate or expand the conflict.
The UK Ministry of Defence said it is “currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region.” Britain’s Minister for Energy Security, Ed Miliband, emphasized the need to de-escalate the conflict.
South Korea said it was monitoring the situation, while Japan’s ruling party policy chief, Takayuki Kobayashi, said the legal threshold for deploying Japanese navy ships was “extremely high.”
Global oil prices have surged about 40 percent as Iran’s actions have disrupted maritime traffic and attacked energy and shipping targets in Gulf countries, escalating tensions in the Middle East following the US-Israeli campaign that targeted Iran’s leadership.
