Rezaei warns neighbors against helping US halt Iranian flights
Iran's security chief says airports in countries that cooperate with Washington to stop Iranian flights will be unable to operate.
Published
Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
Iran's top security official, Rezaei, has warned neighboring countries that if they help the United States block Iranian flights, their own airports will not be able to function. The threat is the latest in a series of hardline statements from Tehran as it squares off with Washington over the Strait of Hormuz.
Rezaei has separately said the strait will remain closed until Iran's conditions are met, and has ruled out negotiations on the point. Iranian officials have tied any reopening of the strait to the lifting of a U.S. naval blockade. Foreign Minister Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff have been discussing terms for reopening the waterway.
The warning comes just after Witkoff reported "momentum" in the backchannel talks. By threatening any neighboring state that cooperates with Washington, Iran is narrowing its own room to maneuver and signaling it will not bend on its core demands. That makes a near-term deal less likely and raises the risk of military action that could disrupt oil flows and regional stability.