Tehran threatens to target infrastructure in the Middle East if its security is not guaranteed
Abbas Araqji left at dawn on Tuesday, returning to Tehran after extensive meetings and consultations he held in the United States, according to what the Iranian “IRNA” news agency reported.
Before leaving New York, Araqchi met with the Qatari mediator as part of the talks aimed at ending the current conflict between the United States and Iran.
Araqchi expressed his hope to receive Washington's final response through Doha, on Tuesday, in light of new efforts to end the war, explaining that the Qatari and Pakistani mediation channels had acquired a more serious character after Iran presented its plan.
He said on Monday evening that Iran had discussed with Qatari mediators ideas that would be presented to the United States.
President Donald Trump had previously announced his rejection of the new plan proposed by Iran on the sidelines of the United Nations meetings in New York, but Tehran announced that it was still waiting for an official response from the United States through mediators.
In conjunction with diplomatic efforts, since Monday, Iranian political and military officials have issued a series of statements that included new threats of a harsh response against the United States and the countries of the region.
The Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, stated in the parliament session on Tuesday, saying: “America and other countries must know, as we said previously, that in the region where we do not sell our oil, no one will sell their oil, and if our security is not achieved, no infrastructure will be safe.”
This is the second threat to oil and infrastructure security in the region - in what was understood to be against Arab countries that accuse Iran of contributing to the war against them -, after the statement of Iranian Army Commander Amir Hatami on Sunday.
Hatami said: “If Iran cannot trade, if Iran cannot live, no one will be able to trade or live. The Strait of Hormuz is the Strait of our dignity and honor, and the country’s enemies will not be allowed to use this main logistical corridor while depriving the Iranian people.”
In an interview with IRNA, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Shura Council, Ibrahim Azizi, said that the United States’ involvement once again “in wrong calculations and taking a step that conflicts with Iran’s interests and national security will face painful responses and a devastating blow from the Islamic Republic.”
Yesterday, Iranian media reported a new statement by Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in which he said, “Those past days to which our enemy wishes to return us are over, and will never be repeated.”
In New York, Iran presented a new proposal to end the war, which includes a seven-day action plan to end all hostilities in Iran and Lebanon, release frozen Iranian assets worth billions of dollars, end sanctions imposed on Iranian oil, and lift the American blockade of Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he rejected the Iranian proposal, adding that Tehran was seeking a quick agreement because of the severe economic pressures it faces.
But he also told Axios on Sunday that he expected US negotiators to participate in additional talks this week.
