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Iran Calls for Regional Cooperation as US-Iran Tensions Escalate

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Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi urged greater regional cooperation in the Persian Gulf in an interview on Tuesday, according to multiple Iranian media outlets.

"The new security approach in the region should be based on 'collective security' and solving economic conflicts, because without comprehensive cooperation, sustainable peace in the Persian Gulf will not be possible," Araghchi said, according to a Tasnim report.

Qatar and Pakistan played effective mediating roles between Tehran and Washington, Araghchi said, adding that Iran's relations with Doha have reached a favorable stage.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed Tehran's opposition to US pressure in a post on X on Tuesday.

Ghalibaf criticized US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, questioning their ability to address the situation and urging them to resolve what he described as problems created by the US.

Iranian military adviser Mohsen Rezaei criticized Washington's position on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US cannot reopen the waterway despite claiming control over it, according to Tasnim.

"The gap between America's inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the Strait itself," Rezaei said.

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to' request for comment.

The comments come amid renewed tensions between Tehran and Washington after a June memorandum of understanding that set a 60-day negotiating period for a broader agreement, including on Iran's nuclear program.

The memorandum has since lapsed, with the two sides remaining at odds over the status of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for energy shipments, among other terms.

Under the June agreement, the sides had sought to end hostilities and negotiate a final agreement within 60 days.

However, the US declared the deal over in July, while Iran later suspended its implementation. The broader ceasefire expired on Aug. 17 without a new agreement, according to reports.

On Monday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country would shift to a "fully offensive" military stance after the US ruled out extending the ceasefire agreement.

The dispute over Hormuz remains a central point of contention between the two countries, with Iran saying the waterway will remain closed until the US meets conditions including lifting its blockade of Iranian ports.

Meanwhile, the US has said it can maintain its naval blockade indefinitely, with Trump describing the blockade as a "wall of steel" on Monday.

Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the Trump administration would roll out new economic measures against Iran, with further actions expected this week, as the US seeks to intensify economic pressure on Tehran.

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