Iran's Araqchi tells South Korea envoy 'aggressors' responsible for consequences of war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told a South Korean special envoy that responsibility for the consequences of the war lay with “aggressors” — referring to the United States and Israel — Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalated amid fresh maritime seizures and warnings of further disruption, according to a Reuters report.

Earlier this week, Iran seized two ships and fired on three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway following Washington’s move to pause attacks indefinitely, according to shipping and security reports. One of the targeted vessels may have been headed for Gujarat, initial data suggested.

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the vessels were detained for maritime violations and escorted to Iranian shores — the first such seizures since the conflict began — and warned that any disruption to order and safety in the strait would be treated as a “red line.”

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen as long as what he called a US naval blockade remained in place, describing it as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.”

“A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval blockade… reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible amid a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” he said in a post on X.

The developments come as US President Donald Trump signalled he had halted planned attacks on Iran for now, while pushing for negotiations to end hostilities. The White House said Trump was seeking a “unified” response from Iran’s leadership to US proposals and had not set a deadline for the ceasefire extension announced earlier.

Also Read: Iran says Hormuz reopening 'not possible' amid US naval blockade

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran must agree to hand over its enriched uranium as part of any deal to end the conflict. Trump also said Iran had halted alleged plans to execute eight women detained over anti-government protests, calling it a positive step in ongoing discussions.

The escalation has added to concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint through which a significant share of oil and LNG flows.