Tehran, 20 March (H.S.): On Thursday, Iran urgently appealed to neighboring West Asian countries to block the United States from using their military bases for operations against the Islamic Republic, labeling these facilities as the root cause of the spiraling regional crisis.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, in an official statement echoed on the ministry's X platform, warned that permitting such usage equates to complicity in aggression under international law, citing UN General Assembly resolutions 2625 and 3334 that prohibit territories being leveraged for attacks on sovereign states.

Tehran reserves its right to self-defense, with recent retaliatory strikes—including on Israel's Haifa oil refinery—underscoring the stakes amid the conflict ignited by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

This diplomatic offensive aims to curtail American military leverage across the Gulf, where over 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed, as Iran faces sustained assaults on its missile sites, navy, and energy infrastructure like the Shahran refinery.

Officials cautioned that inaction by hosts could invite direct repercussions, amplifying fears of broader conflagration threatening the Strait of Hormuz.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar