Iran accuses US of ‘reckless military adventure’
Iran has accused the United States of pursuing what it described as a “reckless military adventure” despite ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending months of conflict in the Gulf region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not succumb to pressure following renewed military exchanges between Iranian and US forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure,” Araghchi wrote on X on Friday, insisting that Iranians would “never bow to pressure”.
The latest tensions come a day after both countries accused each other of launching attacks in the strategic waterway, as US forces reportedly targeted additional Iranian vessels.
Despite the clashes, US President Donald Trump maintained that the ceasefire between both sides remained intact.
The truce is expected to pave the way for negotiations aimed at ending the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, which escalated earlier this year.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was expecting a response from Tehran to recent American proposals.
“I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do,” Rubio said during a visit to Italy.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint in the crisis. The narrow shipping route carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, and recent hostilities in the area have contributed to rising global energy prices.
According to reports, the US had earlier launched — and later paused — a military operation intended to free thousands of vessels stranded in the area since February.
Washington has also maintained a naval blockade around Iranian ports in a move designed to pressure Tehran into accepting US conditions for a broader agreement.
On Friday, US Central Command said American forces disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers allegedly attempting to enter an Iranian port in violation of the blockade.
In a statement, the command said US forces fired “precision munitions” at the vessels’ smokestacks to prevent them from docking.
Centcom further claimed that more than 70 tankers had been prevented from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, the US signalled readiness to host another round of talks between Lebanon and Israel next week as part of efforts to halt ongoing clashes involving the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The talks, expected to hold on 14 and 15 May, are aimed at achieving “lasting security for Israel, and sovereignty and reconstruction for Lebanon”, according to a spokesperson for the US State Department.
The US and Israel have repeatedly insisted that any lasting peace agreement would require Hezbollah’s complete disarmament, a demand the group has rejected.
Also on Friday, US Vice-President JD Vance met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington to discuss mediation efforts involving Pakistan.
Qatar reportedly urged all parties to engage constructively in negotiations to address what it described as the “root causes of the crisis” and achieve lasting peace.
The latest escalation followed Thursday’s confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, with both Tehran and Washington blaming each other for the violence.
US Central Command accused Iran of launching missiles, drones and small boats against three American warships in what it described as an “unprovoked attack”.
Iran’s military, however, alleged that US forces targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel approaching the strait, while also carrying out aerial attacks on coastal areas.
Iranian officials said one cargo vessel near Minab caught fire during the attacks, leaving at least 10 sailors injured.
US President Trump later claimed on Truth Social that American forces had destroyed several Iranian drones, missiles and boats.
“Just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their deal signed, fast,” he wrote.
Source: BBC News
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