Won't Bow to US Bullying: Iran Rejects Washington's Pressure Tactics
Araghchi said the main obstacle between Tehran and Washington was not a lack of communication channels but the US approach toward Iran
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday said Tehran would not bow to US pressure or threats, asserting that the country would not respond to what he described as Washington's policy of "bullying and coercion."
Speaking to journalists after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, Araghchi said the main obstacle between Tehran and Washington was not a lack of communication channels but the US approach toward Iran.
"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," Araghchi said.
He said discussions with Pakistan, which has served as a mediating party, were a natural step, adding that protecting the Iranian people and safeguarding Iran's interests in the Strait of Hormuz remained among Tehran's core principles.
"As long as the rightful objectives and demands of the Iranian people are not realized, we will naturally continue our path," he said. "We are not afraid of threats, nor will we succumb to pressure, and we do not tolerate the language of threats."
Araghchi said Iran's armed forces and diplomats were playing complementary roles in defending the country's interests. He also urged SCO member states to oppose unilateralism and support international law and state sovereignty.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Araghchi held talks with the foreign ministers of 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 Tehran remained in close coordination with Beijing and Moscow.
His remarks came amid heightened regional tensions, with US military operations against Iranian targets continuing for a 13th consecutive night.
According to Iran's Fars news agency, the US military fired two missiles at an LPG tanker entering from the Sea of Oman, believing it was transporting Iranian gas. Fars also reported that a drone struck the US Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and that airstrikes targeted the headquarters of separatist groups in Erbil, Iraq. Press TV reported explosions at the US-run Al Juffair military base in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Major General Abdollahi, commander of Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that "for every Iranian martyred, one American soldier will be targeted," adding that Iran had "prepared free and direct tickets to hell" for US forces.
On Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had completed another round of strikes targeting Iranian military assets, marking the 13th consecutive night of operations. It said at least two people were injured in the Bandar Abbas region.
In response, the Iranian Army on Friday launched another wave of drone attacks targeting US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan under its ongoing "Operation Lightning."
