Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s oil facilities and refineries have raised serious environmental risks.
“When an attack causes soil contamination, destruction of water resources, and the creation of hazardous materials, its effects can persist far beyond the time and place of the attack,” he said, according to Iranian news agency ISNA.
“The environment can no longer be considered a silent victim of war. War and conflict not only target people’s lives… but also water, soil, air, forests, agricultural lands, energy resources, natural habitats, and biodiversity.”
He said that “the destruction of water and soil resources, air pollution, the destruction of vegetation and ecosystems, and the emission of pollutants, wastes, and hazardous materials are among the consequences that can continue for years and even decades after the end of the conflict.
“In recent years, we have witnessed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran how military attacks, in addition to human casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure, have left deep and sometimes lasting effects on the environment.”
Araghchi added that “No government, institution, or actor should consider itself beyond international responsibilities.”
Iran’s nuclear technology is safe from external disruption and cannot be halted by threats, pressure, or attacks, Mohammad Eslami chief of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), said, according to Al Jazeera.
“We will secure our interests either through diplomacy or through combat,” he said, according to ISNA.
“The nuclear industry is rooted in Iran and cannot be destroyed by a blow.”
National unity can foil enemies’ attempts to weaken Iran: Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed on Sunday that national unity and solidarity were essential to overcoming Iran’s current challenges, saying no power could bring Iran to a standstill if its people stand together and reject exclusionary approaches, according to IRNA.
He warned that internal exclusion and self-imposed restrictions could undermine national strength, saying the country can withstand external pressure if it avoids marginalising its own people.
If Iranians did not undermine themselves through self-imposed restrictions or selective exclusion, the enemy cannot defeat them or bring them to their knees, he said, calling for opportunities that enable young people to develop their potential.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on X on Sunday that the military disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, after the ship’s crew “ignored repeated warnings” and “attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran.”
A fighter jet disabled the propulsion system of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also called the “Arika Sun”). According to CENTCOM, the vessel was “attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port.”
CENTCOM resumed the blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14. According to CENTCOM tallies, it has disabled four commercial vessels and turned around 135 ships so far. CENTCOM further stated that “US forces destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ multibillion-dollar shadow network over the same period.” Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said in an interview with Press TV that Iran would pursue legal cases in domestic and foreign courts over the US-Israeli aggression against Minab’s elementary school.
“We must hold the aggressors accountable under international law. Those responsible for the Minab atrocity must answer for their actions before international bodies,” he said, according to Press TV. He also criticised international silence regarding aggression against Iran, saying that “Two wars took place, yet the international system did nothing…the US and Israeli regime violated international law and humanitarian law during the 12-day and 40-day wars.”
Impossible for Hormuz to reopen without meeting Iran’s conditions: Iran National Security Commission spokesperson
Spokesperson of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament said on Sunday that “it is impossible to open the Strait of Hormuz until the conditions announced by Iran are met,” according to ISNA.
He also said that “the issue of revising Iran’s nuclear doctrine is getting stronger day by day, both among the people and experts and among the authorities.”
Iran not to return to previous diplomatic norms, but to never leave diplomacy: Secretary Rezaei
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Major General Rezaei said that Iran will not leave diplomacy, but would also not return to previous diplomatic norms, according to Press TV. He brought up how the US military was “expelled from Iraq after it suffered defeat against Iran,” and said that “Over 30million Iranians” have registered to “take up arms to fight US aggression.”
Trump says Iran may step up actions before midterm elections, muses about renaming Strait of Hormuz President Donald Trump said Saturday that Iran may step up its actions ahead of the US’ Nov. 3 midterm elections – now just weeks away – arguing that Tehran believes doing so would hurt the US. He also claimed that Washington could end the confrontation quickly.
“They’ll probably do a little bit extra before the election, thinking it’s going to hurt us,” Trump said in remarks in the Southern state of Tennessee, a longtime stronghold of the president’s Republican Party, where Trump travelled to hold a campaign rally.
“But we could end it really quick,” he added, claiming he had shown restraint toward Iran despite what he called the destruction of the Iranian navy.
“They don’t know how nice I’ve been to them,” he said, claiming that 159 Iranian ships have been sunk since late February, the start of the ongoing war.
Trump also mused about the flashpoint Strait of Hormuz: “We’re thinking about renaming it to the Trump Strait.”
Trump previously said the war with Iran might end just after the November 3 midterm congressional elections, in which the ongoing war has emerged as a key issue.
The president is not running in the midterms, but he is campaigning for fellow Republicans, working to help them keep control of one or both houses of Congress.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks in the region and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.
The war has continued for more than seven months, driving up global energy prices as commercial oil traffic through the strategic waterway has effectively halted.
The US and Iran signed a framework agreement in June after Pakistan and Qatar mediated to halt hostilities and pave the way for negotiations.
Implementation of the deal has since stalled amid disagreements, including on security and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tanker catches fire after being struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz: Maritime agency
A tanker caught fire after being struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Sunday.