Iran warns countries against supporting US deployment, calls it participation in aggression
Key Facts
On November 12, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned that any direct or indirect participation in actions he described as aggression or "economic terrorism" against Iran would be considered a hostile and unlawful act and participation in US aggression. The newspaper Dawn quoted Baghaei as saying the warning applies to countries that contribute to these efforts in any way. The statement thus places support for the US deployment within the scope of responsibility that Tehran says will follow from participation. The warning comes as Washington presses its allies to help protect ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaei said countries participating in what he described as aggression would bear full responsibility for its consequences.
Baghaei specified the forms of participation Tehran objects to, including deploying naval forces, providing military and logistical support equipment, and sending personnel. He said describing these moves as protecting freedom of navigation or combating piracy does not change their hostile and unlawful nature, according to Iran's position. The warning therefore reaches forms of support that may be provided to protect shipping, not only direct participation in combat. Baghaei also said bilateral agreements or commitments with the United States do not provide a lawful basis for violating countries' obligations under international law. Dawn quoted him as saying: "No agreement or bilateral commitment with the United States can constitute a lawful basis for violating a state's obligations under international law."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed his counterparts in the Group of Seven during talks in Paris to help protect ships from Iranian attacks, according to the Associated Press. Rubio said Washington had asked the group’s countries to "step up their efforts" on the issue, but acknowledged that he had made no progress. The agency added that some countries were considering joining the protection effort. But US allies, including France, said the fighting must stop before they provide minesweepers and other assistance to protect tankers and ships transiting the strait. The position highlights the gap between Washington’s effort to rally naval support, some allies’ conditions for providing it, and Iran’s warning that such support would be treated as participation in aggression.
The warning comes amid growing concern over shipping through Hormuz. On October 8, Reuters quoted a regional diplomat as saying Iran had warned countries in the region that any attempt to open new routes for oil exports would be considered a hostile act. The report linked this to Tehran’s threats to control traffic in the strait. That earlier message places the November 12 warning in the broader context of Iran’s objections to shipping and oil-export arrangements. For now, Washington’s call is focused on protecting ships, while Tehran says naval or logistical support could carry legal and political consequences for participating countries, according to Baghaei’s remarks.
On the diplomatic track, the Associated Press quoted regional officials as saying a Qatari confidence-building proposal would last two days and include Iran temporarily reopening the Strait of Hormuz on the second day, ahead of a permanent agreement. The agency described the proposal as an interim measure, while Tehran has made ending the US blockade of its ports, lifting sanctions, releasing its assets and compensating it for war damage conditions for entering nuclear talks. Iran’s demands also include ending hostilities in the region, including Israeli operations in Lebanon. These conditions link maritime de-escalation to political, economic and security issues that extend beyond the strait. The available information did not specify a date for a new round of negotiations.