Iran urges regional dialogue to ease tensions

The Latest on Mideast developments amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf region (all times local):

Iran’s U.N. Mission is calling for an urgent dialogue among all countries in the Persian Gulf region to ease tensions following attacks on two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

A statement late Thursday from the mission also called on the international community to prevent “the reckless and dangerous policies and practices of the U.S. and its regional allies in heightening the tensions in the region.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the only solution to the tension in this region is the active and constructive engagement of all regional countries within the context of a genuine dialogue based on mutual respect, inclusivity and basic principles of international law,” it said.

The mission said it is “ironic” that the United States, which unlawfully withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, is now calling on the country to come back to negotiations.

It dismissed as “inflammatory” acting U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen’s statement after a closed U.N. Security Council meeting on the tanker attacks Thursday afternoon that Iran should meet the United States with diplomacy — “not with terror, attacks on ships, infrastructure and diplomatic facilities.”

The mission called the statement part of “another Iranophobic campaign.”