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Iran attacks CENTCOM summit
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the United States Central Command after a regional security conference in Bahrain brought together military leaders from 12 countries, including Syria and Lebanon.
“US-led Bahrain talks focus on Hormuz shipping, Mideast defense: CENTCOM CENTCOM says officials from 12 countries discussed Strait of Hormuz shipping, air defense coordination Ahmet Salih Alacaci 01 July 2026•Update: 01 July 2026 The US Central Command led a regional security dialogue in Bahrain on Wednesday, bringing together senior defense officials from 12 countries to discuss regional security, defense cooperation and commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz”
Araghchi said, "Peace in our region can only be sustained when comprehensive and inclusive, with no outside interference," as he rejected the view that Western military involvement has improved stability in West Asia.
In the same exchange, he argued that regional countries should be responsible for their own security rather than relying on outside powers, adding, "Has CENTCOM brought security or insecurity to our region? The answer is clear."
The summit was hosted by the Bahrain Defence Force and focused on strengthening regional air defence cooperation and protecting key maritime shipping routes, with CENTCOM describing participants’ "commitment to the free flow of commerce" through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran disputes Hormuz authority
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi also criticised the Bahrain meeting, rejecting what he described as Western efforts to shape the security framework of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Gharibabadi wrote on X, "Hormuz is defined under Iran's command, not CENTCOM," and he said a military summit in Bahrain could not establish "legal order and security for the Persian Gulf".
Rudaw similarly reported that Gharibabadi said, "[The Strait of] Hormuz is defined under Iran's command and not [the US Central Command] CENTCOM," while describing his argument that regional security is maintained "through the end of intervention and America's withdrawal from the region."
The dispute played out against CENTCOM’s framing of the dialogue as a way to strengthen defence cooperation and safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which CENTCOM said participants reaffirmed.
Window dressing and vigilance
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei denounced the US military security meeting in Bahrain as "nothing more than a public relations exercise" and urged regional countries to remain alert.
“Tehran, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says that a US military security meeting held in Bahrain was nothing more than a public relations exercise designed to conceal Washington’s destabilizing conduct in West Asia”
Baqaei said, "Such gatherings are nothing but a display and window dressing with the aim of covering up the destabilizing policies and illegal actions of the United States in West Asia," and he urged countries to draw lessons from "the clear lessons of the consequences of the recent US-Zionist regime military aggression".
The remarks came after CENTCOM announced the "Regional Security Dialogue" hosted by Bahrain’s defense forces, with CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper and senior military officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen discussing the current regional security situation.
Across the reporting, the core point of contention remained CENTCOM’s stated focus on safeguarding the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian officials argued that security cannot be established through a US military presence and that the Strait falls under Iranian authority.
