Iran's Foreign Minister Engages Regional Allies Following U.S. Military Strikes

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conducted phone conversations with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to address the fallout from recent American military operations.

During these discussions, Araghchi characterized the U.S. actions as "American military aggression" and accused Washington of violating Iran's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He underscored Iran's assertion of "the inherent and legitimate right of the Iranian armed forces to respond in kind to these attacks."

The U.S. Central Command announced it had executed three successive waves of airstrikes targeting Iranian air defense systems, ground control stations, and radar installations positioned near the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon justified the operation as a "proportionate response to the unjustified Iranian aggression," citing the downing of an American Apache helicopter as provocation.

In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for striking the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain with drone attacks, with officials suggesting that further escalation could prompt even more severe Iranian actions.

Araghchi emphasized that Iran maintains its right to self-defense and pursued an expansive diplomatic initiative that extended beyond Riyadh and Ankara. The foreign minister also contacted his counterparts in Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, and France to brief them on developments in the military confrontation.