Daijiworld Media Network - Cholpon-Ata
Cholpon-Ata, Jul 25: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reaffirmed that Tehran will not yield to pressure or intimidation from the United States, asserting that the country will never respond to threats or coercion.
Speaking to journalists after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, Araghchi said the main obstacle to engagement between Tehran and Washington was not the absence of diplomatic channels but the US policy of "bullying and coercion."
"Iran has shown that it will not bow to US bullying and will under no circumstances respond to the language of force, pressure and threats," he said.
Araghchi said discussions with Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator, on various proposals were a natural diplomatic step. Reiterating Iran's core position, he said safeguarding the Iranian people and protecting the country's interests in the Strait of Hormuz remained among Tehran's fundamental principles.
"As long as the rightful objectives and demands of the Iranian people are not realised, we will naturally continue our path. We are not afraid of threats, nor will we succumb to pressure, and we do not tolerate the language of threats," he added.
The Iranian minister said the country's armed forces and diplomats were performing complementary roles in defending national interests. He also urged SCO member states, describing the bloc as a progressive organisation, to oppose unilateralism and resist attempts by the United States and its Western allies to dominate international affairs.
On the sidelines of the summit, Araghchi held meetings with his counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Egypt, Uzbekistan and China. He said he had detailed discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, adding that Iran continued close coordination with Beijing and Moscow.
In his address to the SCO, Araghchi called on member nations to uphold international law, defend state sovereignty and adopt a firm stand against unilateral actions.
His remarks came amid continued military tensions in the region. According to Iranian media reports, the US military has carried out airstrikes for 13 consecutive nights. Fars News Agency, quoting an informed official, claimed that US forces fired two missiles at an LPG tanker entering from the Sea of Oman, suspecting it was transporting Iranian gas.
The report also alleged that the US Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait was struck by a drone, while headquarters of separatist groups in Erbil, Iraq, were targeted in multiple airstrikes. Press TV further claimed that three explosions occurred at the US-operated al-Juffair military base in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Major General Abdollahi, commander of Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that Iran would target one American soldier for every Iranian killed, declaring that "free and direct tickets to hell" had been prepared for US forces.
The developments come as US military operations in the region continue. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday that its forces had successfully completed another round of strikes targeting Iranian military assets, marking the 13th consecutive night of operations. Iranian media reported that at least two people were injured in the Bandar Abbas region during the strikes.
In response, the Iranian Army said it launched a fresh wave of drone attacks on Friday targeting US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan as part of its ongoing "Operation Lightning".