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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Oct. 25 that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country’s positions.
“Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” said Araghchi during a televised event in Tehran.
The remarks come amid mounting U.S. and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, as President Donald Trump said on Oct. 23 that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury,” referring to the U.S.-Israeli campaign on Iran that began on Feb. 28.
“They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past,” the Iranian top diplomat said.
“The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same,” said Araghchi.
“To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces.”
An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States put an end to the most intense fighting, apart from sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
At the same time, Washington is reinforcing its military presence in the region. Two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups are operating in the Middle East, a third is approaching from the Pacific, and an amphibious assault ship carrying Marines is also being deployed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 24.
The buildup came as U.S. intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo on Oct. 23 that Iran had significantly increased efforts to target Americans.
Washington has also ordered diplomatic and military personnel to leave some locations as security concerns grow.
The administration is weighing its options ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, reports said, while warning that renewed strikes could trigger Iranian retaliation, put US forces at greater risk and push global energy prices higher.
Iran has claimed control over the strait since the outbreak of the war and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt crossing without its authorization, moves strongly opposed by Washington and
countries in the region.
