Iran warns allies against joining US-led Gulf conflict

Iran cautions nations against involvement in its war with the US and Israel, as Trump seeks international escorts for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

TEHRAN: Iran issued a stark warning to countries against involvement in its conflict with the United States and Israel.

The warning followed President Donald Trump’s call for world powers to escort oil tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (pic) also sent a stern message to Iran’s Arab neighbours. He stated the Islamic republic possesses “ample evidence” that US bases on their territories were used to launch attacks.

“This war will end when we are certain that it will not be repeated and that reparations will be paid,” Araghchi told Arabic-language news platform Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

He referenced last year’s conflict, which began with an Israeli air war before drawing in US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Global energy prices have soared since Iran threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a passage for 20% of global oil and gas exports.

Trump urged nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send escort ships. The listed countries have so far offered only guarded or non-committal responses to the request.

Araghchi warned them to “refrain from any action that could lead to escalation and expansion of the conflict”. Global oil prices have surged 40% since Iran choked off the vital sea passage and attacked regional energy targets.

The strikes were retaliation for a US and Israeli air campaign that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Trump suggested in a weekend interview that he might bomb Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub “just for fun”.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump told NBC News. Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

Despite the escalating rhetoric, daily life in Tehran showed signs of normalisation. Traffic increased and some cafes and restaurants reopened ahead of the Persian New Year.

In a separate development, the captain of Iran’s women’s football team withdrew her bid for asylum. She became the fifth team member to change their mind after playing in the Asian Cup in Australia.

Rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening their relatives. Iranian health ministry figures report over 1,200 people killed by US and Israeli strikes.

The UN refugee agency says up to 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran. The Pentagon states more than 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit.

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