As the United States and Gulf Arab nations moved to draft a fresh United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution demanding Iran end its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi dismissed Washington's entire push on Tuesday as a dead end — warning both the US and the UAE against being dragged into deeper conflict by what he called "ill-wishers."
In a post on X, Araghchi delivered his sharpest verdict yet on US President Donald Trump's flagship naval operation, "Project Freedom is Project Deadlock."
Events in Hormuz make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 4, 2026
As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE.
Project Freedom is Project Deadlock.
Earlier, Trump warned that Iran would be 'blown off the face of the earth' if it attacks American vessels escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after launching 'Project Freedom' to secure the route.
On the UN front, US Ambassador Mike Waltz confirmed that Washington is co-drafting the new Security Council resolution with Bahrain, with input from Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
The resolution is expected to require Iran to cease attacks on merchant shipping, stop imposing tolls on vessels attempting to pass, halt the laying of sea mines, and disclose the locations of mines already placed in the strait, Reuters reported.
The demand to reveal mine locations is being seen as the sharpest element — converting what has been a broad military standoff into a concrete, internationally enforceable compliance question.
The diplomatic push comes after a first attempt failed as Russia and China vetoed a Bahrain-led resolution on April 7 that sought to authorise military force to open the strait. The new draft deliberately narrowed around maritime law to avoid another veto. Whether Moscow and Beijing will accept even this limited framing remains the central uncertainty.
On the ground, tensions show no sign of easing. Iran launched fresh missile and drone strikes on the UAE on Monday, causing moderate injuries to three. Tehran framed the strikes as defensive, with its Foreign Ministry stating Iran bore "no animosity" toward Gulf states but "had to defend" itself against US-Israeli aggression.
Araghchi, in his post, also pointed to Pakistan-mediated backchannel talks as a reason for restraint: "As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE."
The duelling moves, mark the latest flashpoint in a crisis that has paralysed global energy trade since February 28, when the US and Israel launched an air war against Iran, blocking a waterway through which roughly 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20% of global LNG normally passes
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
