Araghchi says Iran ‘will not succumb to US bullying’ over Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected what he described as US “bullying” over the Strait of Hormuz, while warning that any move by Washington to seize Iranian assets would have far-reaching consequences and further destabilise the region. Speaking as tensions between Tehran and Washington remained high, Araghchi said on Friday that Iran would not be pressured into changing its position on the strategic waterway, insisting that safeguarding the country’s interests in the Strait of Hormuz remained a fundamental national policy. “We are neither afraid of threats nor do we yield to pressure, and we do not tolerate threatening language, ” Araghchi said. “Protecting the Iranian people and protecting Iran’s interests in the Strait of Hormuz are among our principles, and we are following them. ” The foreign minister also downplayed the prospects of an imminent ceasefire with the United States, saying the main obstacle to diplomacy was Washington’s approach rather than the lack of potential mediators. He said Pakistan could play a mediating role but argued that “the problem is America’s approach. ” In a separate statement posted on X, Araghchi condemned recent remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting that Iranian assets held in the United States could be used to compensate for damage to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Describing such a move as a dangerous precedent, the Iranian foreign minister warned that confiscating another country’s assets to settle unrelated future claims would undermine international norms. “Seizing another nation’s assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent, ” Araghchi wrote. “Those who celebrate or profit from such funds should remember: once governments normalise confiscation, no one’s assets are safe. ” He warned that any attempt to seize Iranian assets would trigger consequences that would be “neither pleasant nor peaceful” and could fuel further regional instability. Trump’s comments came amid escalating hostilities between the two countries, with the US president saying Iranian assets could be used to cover losses suffered by ships affected by the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

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