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Iran never attacked Muslim countries or its neighbors during the recent conflict but targeted US positions in surrounding countries in response to American attacks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday.
Speaking during a meeting with guests at the 40th International Islamic Unity Conference, Araghchi said Tehran had previously warned regional states that U.S. bases and other American targets on their territory would be struck if Washington attacked Iran.
"Our fighters will strike any American target in the region during wartime, whether it is a U.S. base, an American facility or a gathering point for their forces," he said, describing the U.S. and Israeli strikes as "illegitimate aggression" and Iran’s military response as "legitimate self-defense."
Since Feb. 28, when U.S.-Israeli joint strikes began, Iran has carried out retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, most notably targeting positions in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE.
The campaign later expanded across the region, with Iranian forces launching strikes in all six Gulf Cooperation Council members — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — as well as Iraq and Jordan.
During a renewed escalation in July, Iranian forces again launched missiles and drones toward several Gulf countries and U.S. military bases elsewhere in the region.
"We want good relations with all Islamic countries, especially neighboring countries," Araghchi said. He added that Tehran sought broader economic ties across the Muslim world and already had extensive relations with those countries.
The remarks come as the U.S. launched a broader campaign to isolate Iran economically this week, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning countries that maintain financial ties with Tehran that they could face U.S. retaliation.
Before the campaign, the UAE, one of Iran’s biggest trading partners, halted all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after reporting two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country, an allegation Tehran denied.
On Egypt, Araghchi said there were no grounds for disagreement between Tehran and Cairo and that Iran would be ready to restore relations whenever Egypt was prepared to do so.
"We seek good relations with Egypt," he said. "Whenever our friends in Egypt reach a decision and are ready to restore relations, we will also be ready."
Iran and Egypt have not maintained full diplomatic ties since 1979, when Tehran severed relations following Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel and its decision to host Iran’s ousted Shah.
However, Egypt has played a supporting diplomatic role in efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States, including regional efforts surrounding the June 18 Islamabad memorandum.
Regarding Lebanon, he said Tehran wanted good relations with all political groups and factions and was ready to develop ties with the Lebanese government. He also criticized some Lebanese government policies and called for its Foreign Ministry to show "greater rationality."
Araghchi also called for broader ties with African countries, saying Iran’s approach toward the Islamic world was based on unity and greater engagement, with neighboring countries given particular importance.
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