Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei at a news conference on Monday said that some countries in the Gulf region had been involved in the United States’ war on Tehran, but did not give further details. He added that Iran would not let the US determine the end of war, clarifiying that Tehran has not asked for resumption of talks with the US as it is “not in our DNA.”
According to Baghaei, negotiations between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz were held on Friday and Saturday, Al Jazeera reported. He noted, “There were useful discussions on how to manage shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” but stated that “the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has not changed; it remains closed and these negotiations have nothing to do with the US.”
Further, according to Al Jazeera, Baghaei stated that the Israeli government “will do whatever it takes to prevent the transfer of [nuclear] technologies” to the countries in the Middle East. He added that the “peaceful use of nuclear energy is everyone’s right,” and that “the reason for the pressure on Iran was Iran’s use of its right.”
“We leave the judgement to the world,” the spokesman said.
According to Baghaei, Washington thought “Iran would collapse in three days and surrender” after the start of the US-Israeli war, Al Jazeera reported. He added, though that months later, “America is stuck in this place and they are proud of its crimes.”
The spokesman also said that the US returns to the negotiation table whenever global energy prices increase, Al Jazeera reported.
Saudi, Omani FMs discuss Strait of Hormuz security
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Oman discussed ongoing security tensions in the Gulf region in a telephone call on Monday, Saudi state agency SPA reported.
According to Al Jazeera, the ministers shared their concerns about recent developments and spoke about ways “to ensure the safety and freedom of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
Omani representatives also held in-person discussions in Iran over the weekend.
Houthi official says Riyadh failed to achieve goals in Yemen
Deputy Foreign Minister Abdulwahid Abu Ras said Saudi Arabia had failed to achieve its goals in Yemen after relying on the US, Al Jazeera reported. He added that it would also fail by depending on “local mercenaries and tools.”
In a statement to the Houthi-run Yemen News Agency (Saba), cited by Al Jazeera, Ras stated that “America, with all its arrogance, failed in previous rounds to achieve its goals of subjugating the Yemeni people, yet the Saudi regime has not learned its lesson.”
The deputy FM also warned that Saudi Arabia’s insistence on maintaining the siege on Yemen, confiscating its wealth and tearing its social fabric will backfire on the Saudi economy, according to Al Jazeera.
Red Sea traffic off the coast of Yemen has remained disrupted since last week by the Houthi movement, which declared a naval blockade on Saudi exports.
Ukraine’s Zelensky says Moscow deepening military cooperation with Iran
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was deepening military coordination with Tehran as well as North Korea and China.
In an interview with Sky News, Zelensky said that North Korea could send 30,000 troops to Russia while Iran may also provide additional missiles, Al Jazeera reported.
Regarding whether he was concerned about a potential Iranian attack on Ukraine, the president stated that Tehran was already involved in the war by supplying weapons to Moscow.
According to Al Jazeera, Zelensky stated, “We can’t trust these people because at the very beginning, without any escalation from our side, Iranians gave weapons.” He added, “We have to do everything not to open a new front … [but] Iranians and North Koreans already attacked us.”