Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that any intervention by third countries in the management of the Strait of Hormuz — outside the framework of a U.S.-Iran understanding agreement signed on June 17 — would escalate regional tensions. His remarks come amid renewed hostilities over the past three days, as Tehran and Washington trade accusations of violating the ceasefire provisions outlined in that agreement concerning control of the strategic waterway.
A Narrow, High-Stakes Waterway
The Strait of Hormuz — a roughly 30-kilometer maritime passage separating Iran from Oman — reopened on June 17. However, Tehran has restricted vessel traffic to a single corridor along its own coastline, warning that any ship failing to comply with its regulations risks becoming a target.
Escalation Begins Again
Tensions reignited on Thursday after Oman announced plans to establish an alternative sea route, part of a joint initiative with the United Nations aimed at safely evacuating ships and crews previously stranded in the area.
Shortly afterward, a cargo vessel passing through the strait outside the agreed-upon framework was struck by a projectile of unknown origin. The United States blamed Iran and responded with airstrikes on Iranian territory. Tehran retaliated by striking U.S. positions, primarily in Bahrain.
A similar incident occurred yesterday, when a tanker came under fire from an unidentified source. The U.S. launched fresh strikes against Iranian military installations, prompting Tehran today to carry out missile and drone attacks targeting sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Diplomatic Fallout
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the country’s determination to defend its national sovereignty, condemning U.S. strikes on surveillance and monitoring facilities along Iran’s southern coast.
Kuwait strongly condemned what it called Iran’s “abhorrent and repeated attacks,” describing them as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a threat to regional efforts to end conflict in the Middle East.
In Bahrain — where air raid sirens sounded twice overnight — the military reported intercepting and destroying several missiles fired during what it labeled “covert Iranian attacks.”
‘No Other Country’
Speaking during an official visit to Baghdad, Araghchi emphasized that “no other organization or country” besides Iran bears responsibility for managing the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any external interference beyond the terms of the June 17 understanding would delay the strait’s full operational recovery and deepen the crisis — a reality, he said, already demonstrated over the past two days.