Iran’s Foreign Minister Calls for Inclusive Gulf Security Framework

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called for the establishment of a new regional security framework encompassing all Gulf countries, signaling Tehran’s intent to reshape the region’s security architecture in the aftermath of Iranian strikes against US military bases — themselves a response to what Iran characterized as American aggression.

Speaking at a press conference in Baghdad during an official visit to the Iraqi capital, Araghchi outlined Tehran’s vision for a collective regional arrangement free of foreign involvement. “We should reach a new framework that includes all countries in the region and without the presence or interference of any country from outside the region,” the foreign minister stated.

Araghchi also issued a pointed warning regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which a substantial share of global energy exports pass, cautioning that any attempt to circumvent Iran’s authority over the strait would deepen instability and further delay its reopening — even as peace negotiations to end the broader Middle East conflict remain ongoing.

“Any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements compared to what is underway by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will only lead to more complicated situations and delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and will increase the tensions, as we witnessed in the past two nights,” Araghchi said.

The top Iranian diplomat urged all parties involved to honor existing commitments, calling on them to “adhere to the memorandum of understanding and not to allow this MoU to deviate from its course” — a warning directed at regional and international actors following a period of intensified exchanges between Iranian and American forces.

The statement reflects Tehran’s dual-track approach: asserting firm control over critical maritime chokepoints while simultaneously advancing a diplomatic vision that excludes Western military presence from any future regional security arrangement.