• Any interference will trigger ‘decisive and rapid’ response, says Khatam al-Anbiya force
• Tehran warns US, Israel against any ‘misadventure’ during Khamenei’s funeral
• Washington seeks ‘tangible results’ for pursuing diplomacy; Tehran accuses Americans of ‘betraying diplomacy twice’
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: As indirect talks between the US and Iran result in some “positive progress”, Iran on Thursday warned the US against interference in the Strait of Hormuz as it asserted sovereignty over the vital maritime route that has become a bone of contention since the US and Israeli attack on Iran on Feb 28.
Any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a “decisive and rapid” response and the continued presence of US air assets across the waterway endangers regional security, the Iranian army said in reference to the US attempts to wrest control of the waterway from Tehran.
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates Iran’s armed forces operations, said all tanker and commercial vessels must follow routes designated by Tehran for safe passage through the strait, warning of an immediate response in case of failure to comply with Iranian directives.
The statements came after the US military said it led a regional security dialogue hosted by Bahrain, held with defence leaders from 12 nations, mostly from the Gulf. “Leaders underscored their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz,” Centcom said on X.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded on Thursday, saying the strait “is defined under Iran’s command, not Centcom”. “A military summit in Bahrain cannot establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf,” he said, calling for the withdrawal of the US forces from the region under “new geopolitical realities”. Tehran’s enforcement of its claim to the Strait of Hormuz has sparked repeated flare-ups, with both sides trading fire on multiple occasions over the past week.
As it prepares for the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an Iranian military commander warned the US and Israel against any attack on Iran. “We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the US and the Zionist regime (Israel), to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country,” Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement carried by state media.
It may be noted that Iran and the US concluded a round of indirect talks in Doha, mediators said Thursday, as they kept up efforts to advance negotiations and lower tensions following recent exchanges of fire.
‘Iran, US spar at UN Security Council’
Iran and the US traded sharp accusations at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday, as Pakistan, along with other council members, called for restraint and continued negotiations to prevent a wider regional conflict. Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani rejected Western accusations that Tehran had violated recent understandings, insisting that it was the US that derailed diplomacy.
“Once again, the representative of the United States has resorted to lies and disinformation against Iran in a desperate attempt to justify the US’s unlawful acts of aggression,” he told the council.
He said that, while negotiations were underway, the US, together with Israel, “betrayed diplomacy twice” by launching “two wars of aggression against Iran in blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law”.
Rejecting allegations by Western countries and Bahrain, the Iranian envoy said they had ignored “the unlawful aggression committed against Iran” while attempting “to shift blame onto the victim”.
Mr Iravani also defended Pakistan’s diplomatic role. Iran continued negotiations “in good faith through negotiations facilitated by Pakistan” that resulted in the June 17 Islamabad accord, he said.
Calling for renewed diplomacy, he said, “The priority must be the full implementation of the MoU and the continuation of negotiations towards a comprehensive deal.”
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, described the Islamabad MoU as “a victory for diplomacy”. “The fact that the talks are continuing and the parties are at the negotiating table is a significant positive outcome,” Ambassador Ahmad said, adding that channels of communication remained open.
Meanwhile, the US blamed Iran for threatening global commerce by disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran cannot, and we cannot allow it to, hold the world’s economy hostage,” US Ambassador Michael G. Waltz said.
He disputed Iran’s assertion that its attacks had been limited to military targets, citing UN trade estimates that the closure of the Strait would have lasting consequences for dozens of developing economies. Mr Waltz also warned that Washington remained prepared to pursue diplomacy but expected tangible results.
Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2026