Tehran accuses US of 'reckless military adventurism'
"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US chooses reckless military adventurism," said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi the day after mutual strikes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday accused the United States of "reckless military adventurism" and undermining diplomatic efforts to end the war. This was reported by The New York Times, which is covering the escalation in the Strait of Hormuz in a live blog format.
The article notes that the Iranian minister's statement came the day after US Navy forces and Iranian forces exchanged strikes in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that a month-long truce remains in effect. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, responding to a question about the state of negotiations, said that Washington expects a "response" from Tehran as early as Friday.
According to NYT, citing three Iranian officials, Washington and Tehran are currently discussing a one-page American proposal: the parties should reopen the Strait of Hormuz and cease hostilities for 30 days—during negotiations for a comprehensive agreement.
Who did what
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Thursday that "unprovoked Iranian attacks" on three American destroyers involved the use of missiles, drones, and small boats. In response, as reported by US military officials, the US military "struck Iranian military facilities responsible for attacks on American forces," including missile and drone launch sites.
Iranian military officials, in turn, claim that it was the US that first violated the truce: the day before, American ships opened fire on an Iranian oil tanker attempting to pass through a blockade imposed by Washington. According to Tehran, the attack on American military vessels was "retaliatory."
Key obstacle in negotiations—Iran's nuclear program
Trump, speaking to journalists in Washington on Thursday evening, dismissed the Iranian attacks as "trivial" and again warned that Iran "had better sign an agreement quickly." This, as NYT notes, is a reference to the aforementioned one-page American proposal.
The article emphasizes that the key obstacle in negotiations is the US demand for preliminary commitments from Tehran regarding the fate of Iran's nuclear program and stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. According to Iranian sources cited by NYT, this point is preventing a quick compromise.
"Crude pressure tactics"
On Friday, Araghchi questioned in a social media post whether the American strikes were a form of "crude pressure tactics."
"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US chooses reckless military adventurism," wrote the head of Iran's Foreign Ministry.
As a reminder, military confrontation between the US, Israel, and Iran has been ongoing since the spring of this year. Despite a formal truce announced about a month ago, the situation around the Strait of Hormuz—through which a significant portion of global oil trade passes—remains extremely tense. Tehran maintains a blockade of the strait, while Washington enforces a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
