January 31, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed his dissatisfaction with American claims related to Iranian military maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has always been, and will remain, the protective shield for peace and stability in the Arabian Gulf region and its vital waterways.
In his post on the “X” platform, Araqchi attached a picture of a map showing Iran’s location in relation to the United States, alluding to the vast distance that separates the two countries, as he saw that an army separated from Iran by oceans, and located on the other side of the world, is trying today, from the shores of the Gulf, to dictate to the Iranian armed forces how to conduct their maneuvers within their regional scope.
Araqchi criticized what he described as the clear contradiction in the position of the “US Central Command,” which demands “professionalism” from Iranian forces that Washington considers on its lists, while recognizing the right of these forces to carry out their military training. This behavior was considered evidence of the double and irrational standards deliberately adopted by Western governments.
The Iranian Minister stressed that the Revolutionary Guard was and remains the faithful guardian of peace and stability in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the countries of the region are well aware of this role through expertise and experience. In response to the American allegations, he stressed that Iran is the primary guarantor of safe freedom of navigation in the Strait, which represents a vital interest for Tehran and its neighbors alike.
Araqchi concluded his speech by pointing out that experiences have proven that the foreign military presence in the region, contrary to the declared slogans, has only brought more escalation and instability, stressing that the security of the Gulf is created from within, and not through the intervention of external forces coming from afar.
It is noteworthy that the US Central Command had warned Iran against the backdrop of the Revolutionary Guards’ announcement of its intention to conduct naval maneuvers with live ammunition for two days in the Strait of Hormuz, starting tomorrow, Sunday.
