Iran rejects US claims linking it to rising fuel prices

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh on Tuesday rejected US accusations that Iran is responsible for rising fuel prices, saying Washington is attempting to shift blame for a crisis it initiated. In a post on his X account late Tuesday, Baghaei wrote that US officials "blame Iran for rising fuel prices, as if the public's memory is short enough to forget who actually initiated the war of aggression, and whose actions created the crisis that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the disruption of commercial shipping."

Baghaei said the tactic is not new, drawing a historical parallel to 1939, when Adolf Hitler framed the invasion of Poland as a defensive action. He questioned whether blaming the victim of an unlawful "war of choice" for the fallout should be seen as "strategic brilliance" or simply a textbook symptom of what he called "The March of Folly."

The spokesman's remarks come amid heightened tensions over disruptions to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil transport. The closure of the strait and the disruption of shipping have contributed to volatility in fuel prices, though the exact cause of the closure was not detailed in the statement.

Baghaei's post did not specify which US officials made the accusations or provide further details on the measures Iran might take in response. The statement reflects ongoing rhetorical exchanges between Tehran and Washington over regional security and economic pressures.

According to Mehr News, the spokesman's comments were posted on his X account and did not include additional information beyond the criticism of US officials.