Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Tehran would keep working towards “friendly relations” with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, while rejecting all forms of “colonialism and exploitation”.
His remarks came as Iran continued discussions over the latest US peace proposal, as well as a string of naval incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz that pushed tensions between the two countries higher. Follow US-Iran war live updates here.
The US said on Thursday that it had stopped attacks targeting three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and later carried out strikes on Iranian military sites.
What Iranian President said amid Washington-Tehran tensions
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said Tehran’s approach was to strengthen “friendly relations” built on mutual respect and common interests.
Rejecting every form of “colonialism and exploitation”, he said such ideas had no place in the world’s future.
“Just as tolerance is deeply rooted in the culture of our people, the struggle against oppression shines in the history of this land. This identity will continue for the exaltation of Iran’s name,” he added.
Pezeshkian’s latest comments against “colonialism and exploitation” came as tensions deepened following a second straight day of clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.
US forces carried out airstrikes on two empty Iranian oil tankers that were attempting to cross the blockade and reach one of the country’s ports, US central command said on Friday.
Iran said the move violated the ceasefire agreement.
US vs Iran in Strait of Hormuz
The US military said on Friday that American forces fired at and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers after they attempted to breach the US blockade on Iranian ports.
According to US central command, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet “disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran.”
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the latest US military action and said “every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure.”
In a post on X, he wrote “Iranians never bow to pressure” and asked whether the US action was a crude pressure tactic or “a spoiler once again duping POTUS.”
Iran has not yet indicated whether it will agree to Trump’s proposal, under which the Islamic Republic would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the US would gradually lift the blockade on Iranian ports over the next month.
With inputs from agencies
