Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a series of calls with senior regional officials on Thursday as Tehran intensified diplomatic efforts following this week’s sharp military escalation with the US.
The discussions came after several days of military clashes between US and Iranian forces, triggered by what has been attributed to IRGC Navy attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
By Thursday evening, the situation eased somewhat post the most intense round of US strikes since the ceasefire agreement was reached in mid-June.
Araghchi spoke separately with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, with their talks focusing on the recent developments in West Asia and particularly the situation in the vital Strait of Hormuz corridor.
According to Iran’s account of the conversations, all sides stressed the importance of maintaining diplomatic engagement, preserving channels of communication and coordination, and preventing further escalation.
The Iranian foreign minister also held talks with Pakistan’s military chief Asim Munir.
During the call, Araghchi fiercely criticised recent US military operations, calling them a total violation of Iran’s territorial sovereignty, as well as a breach of the ceasefire framework highlighted in the memorandum of understanding signed between Tehran and Washington.
Later in the day, Araghchi spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the regional security situation and the subsequent fallout from what Tehran termed as full-fledged US aggression.
