Day 15 of Middle East conflict — Trump urges countries to send warships to help secure Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday pushed back on claims from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s newly named supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded and disfigured.

“There is no problem with the new supreme leader,” Araghchi said in an interview with MS Now. “He is performing his duties according to the constitution, and he will continue to do that.”

Strait of Hormuz: The foreign minister also denied claims that Iran had fully closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, instead saying the passage was only blocked to vessels with ties to the US and Israel.

“It is only closed to American, Israeli ships and tankers, and not to others,” he said.

Regional attacks: Commenting on the ongoing strikes by US and Israeli forces against Iran, Araghchi vowed retaliation for the US military strike on Kharg Island, which handles most of Iran’s oil exports, and said that Iran’s armed forces will strike any energy infrastructure tied to American companies in the region.

Araghchi claimed the strikes were launched from UAE territory, specifically from Ras al-Khaimah and a location near Dubai, which he described as “highly dangerous” and “unacceptable” given the proximity to civilian populations.

“Our armed forces have already answered that they would retaliate if our oil and energy infrastructure are attacked,” Araghchi said.

Foreign assistance: Asked about Russian and Chinese military support, Araghchi acknowledged both nations as “strategic partners” with ongoing military cooperation but declined to provide details.

Nuclear talks: Araghchi denied ever threatening to weaponize Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, saying he was trying to convey the scale of potential concessions Iran was prepared to make. “We were close to reach a deal,” he said. “That is the reality.”

“This is an imposed war against us,” he said. “We didn’t start this war. We are only defending ourselves.”

UAE response: Anwar Gargash, a senior diplomatic adviser to the president of UAE, said Araghchi’s comments accusing the Emirates of aggression against Iran are “part of a confused policy that has misdirected its aim, lost its compass, and forsaken wisdom.” In an X post, he said that Araghchi has “condemned his own country” and “entrenched its isolation.”

Gargash mentioned that the UAE made “sincere efforts” to mediate and avoid a war between the US and Iran. He added that the UAE “continues to prioritize reason and logic, maintaining restraint and seeking an exit for Iran and the region, but noted that “the UAE has the right to self-defense in the face of this terrorist aggression.”