Iran has delivered a blistering rebuke to US Central Command following a security huddle in Bahrain, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi declaring that the Strait of Hormuz operates under Tehran’s command—and Washington’s input is neither needed nor welcome. Gharibabadi took to X on Thursday to dismantle the legitimacy of the CENTCOM-hosted talks, which included 11 Middle Eastern allies, asserting that regional security cannot be imposed by an external military umbrella but must instead be achieved through the US’ exit and the restoration of national sovereignties.
Tehran- IranView24
Iran’s deputy foreign minister sharply rejected a US Central Command security meeting held in Bahrain, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz is defined under Iran’s command, not CENTCOM’s.
Kazem Gharibabadi, deputy minister for legal and international affairs and Iran’s senior negotiator, wrote in a post on X on Thursday that a military meeting in Bahrain cannot establish legal order or security for the Persian Gulf.
He added that regional security will be achieved through an end to US interference and withdrawal from the region, respect for national sovereignty, and acceptance of new geopolitical realities, not under a US military umbrella.
The remarks came in response to a CENTCOM announcement issued Wednesday evening, in which the command said it had hosted a security meeting with military officials from 11 Middle Eastern countries under the auspices of the Bahrain Defense Force.
According to the statement, CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper and senior military officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen discussed the current regional security situation and opportunities to expand defense cooperation.
CENTCOM claimed in its statement that meeting participants reaffirmed a shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that falls exclusively under Iranian authority, not Washington’s.
