Iran's FM Araghchi says Tehran has right to defend sovereignty after calls with 12 counterparts

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said he held separate telephone conversations with 12 of his counterparts over the past 48 hours to review the latest regional and international developments, according to a post on his X account.

Araghchi said the calls covered the consequences of what he described as escalatory measures taken by the United States and the Zionist regime. The counterparts he spoke with were from Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Cyprus, Turkey, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Iraq and Pakistan.

In the calls, the foreign minister reaffirmed Iran's legitimate right to defend its sovereignty and national security. He also stressed the necessity of establishing regional security arrangements free from the interference of extra-regional powers.

Araghchi outlined what he called the principled positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasizing the need to respect the national sovereignty of states, halt aggression and threats, and refrain from destructive foreign interference. He further said regional countries bear responsibility for preventing the spread of insecurity.

The minister said the same points were raised during each of the separate phone calls, including Iran's right to defend its sovereignty and national security and the need for regional security arrangements without outside interference.

The report by Mehr News did not specify the dates of the individual calls or provide further details on the positions taken by the other foreign ministers.