Iran’s foreign minister has accused the United States and Israel of directly engineering the current turmoil across the Middle East, warning that Washington’s broken promises and continued economic warfare have pushed the region to the brink. Speaking during high-level talks in Tehran with Qatar’s prime minister, Abbas Araghchi also rejected any use of Gulf states’ territory for strikes against the Islamic Republic, as officials hinted that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would depend on American concessions.
“A direct result of US and Israeli attacks”
In a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Iran’s top diplomat laid the blame for the region’s deterioration squarely at the feet of Washington and Tel Aviv. Araghchi said the current crisis was the “direct result” of American and Israeli military actions, compounded by a prolonged naval blockade and relentless economic pressure imposed by the US.
He also stressed the urgent need for confidence-building among regional states, advocating for home-grown security mechanisms rather than external interference.
“The situation we see today did not emerge in a vacuum,” Araghchi was quoted as saying. “It is the product of deliberate policies that have ignored the legitimate rights and security of nations in this region.”
No Gulf territory for US strikes
The Iranian minister issued a firm warning against any attempt to use the military or logistical capabilities of Gulf Co‑operation Council countries – including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman – to facilitate American attacks on Iran or to enforce sanctions.
“Regrettably, the US and Israel, with the accompaniment of some regional states, have struck at Iran, and instability has arisen in the Strait of Hormuz,” Araghchi said. He reaffirmed that Tehran had honoured its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum, particularly its fifth clause, but charged that Washington had violated its own pledges and undermined the implementation of that agreement.
“Most recently, they have announced a new wave of economic assault,” he added, vowing that Iran would use every means at its disposal to defend its national sovereignty and interests.
Qatari call for de-escalation
Sheikh Mohammed, in turn, reiterated Doha’s principled stance on preserving regional security and stability. He underscored the importance of continued consultations to lower tensions, reflecting Qatar’s long-standing role as a diplomatic mediator in the Gulf.
The Qatari premier’s visit to Tehran also included separate meetings with President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei.
Hormuz blockade: “No trust in America”
In a separate discussion with the Qatari delegation, Secretary Rezaei made clear that Tehran would not consider reopening the Strait of Hormuz unless its conditions were first met by the US. “America must first take practical steps to fulfil Iran’s demands; only then will Iran proceed to open the Strait,” he said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Rezaei voiced deep distrust of the American administration, citing what he called a pattern of betraying diplomacy and negotiations. “They have repeatedly betrayed dialogue,” he said, warning that any “evil” action by Washington would be met with a catastrophic response from Iran – both militarily and economically. At the same time, he acknowledged Iran’s past support for Qatar in difficult moments and reaffirmed the friendly ties between the two countries.
Regional ripple effects
The exchanges come as international shipping routes remain under threat and Gulf states navigate a delicate balance between their alliances with Washington and their economic and security ties to Tehran.
With the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for nearly a third of the world’s seaborne oil – at the centre of the standoff, diplomatic efforts are likely to intensify, though Iran’s public stance suggests little immediate willingness to compromise without concrete US concessions.
