After US President Donald Trump vowed that Washington would retaliate against Iran for shooting down a military helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz last night, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran prefers diplomacy but signals that it is prepared to respond militarily.
“Iran prefers the language of diplomacy,” Araghchi posts on X. “However, as our Brave Warriors have shown to the world, we know how to speak other languages too.”
He makes the statement amid delicate talks with Washington on a potential deal to end the war. He also suggests the helicopter incident was not intentional, and calls on “foreign forces” to leave the strait.
“The Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman… Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire,” Araghchi says in a statement on X.
“To reduce risk, the best solution is for foreign forces to exit,” he adds.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
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