Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi Calls Aggressive Alliances Unacceptable

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband that any partnership with "aggressive countries," including existing defence pacts, is beyond the bounds of acceptability. The conversation, reported by Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday, framed the warning as a direct appeal to the United Kingdom to avoid providing military assistance to the United States in any operation targeting Iran.

Araghchi slammed what he perceived as the United Kingdom's "improper and false" policies toward Tehran. He singled out London's labeling of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a threat to national security and referred to the recent US‑Israel joint operations that, in his view, involved the IRGC in a "collaborative" capacity.

He reminded his British counterpart that international law and the Convention on the Definition of Aggression forbid the use of one nation's territory or facilities for illegal attacks against another. Such actions, he argued, automatically grant the victim nation a legitimate right to self‑defence.

The Iranian minister also recounted Tehran's diplomatic outreach to Washington earlier this year, culminating in a memorandum of understanding intended to end hostilities. According to Araghchi, the United States failed to honor its commitments under the agreement.

Furthermore, Araghchi highlighted Iran's initiative to work with Oman to coordinate ship movements through the strategically vital Hormuz Strait, warning that third‑party interference could exacerbate regional tensions.

Milbank, for his part, reiterated that Britain is not a participant in any war against Iran and underscored that diplomacy, not force, is the appropriate path to resolve disputes.