Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the United States and Israel are engaged in war not only against one country but against the entire Middle East. Speaking at a news conference in Tehran on Monday, he blamed the United States and its allies for the current regional crisis.

Baghaei said US military presence in the Gulf and the use of bases in various countries have increased instability. He said it was natural for countries in the region to seek efforts to prevent the situation from worsening. He also described the Yemen crisis as Yemen’s internal matter and said it should be resolved through dialogue.

The spokesperson said linking the Yemen issue to the war against Iran was an attempt to evade responsibility. He said no new mediator had joined talks with the United States, although China and several other countries were trying to reduce tensions. Pakistan is mediating on Iran-US issues and Qatar is assisting as needed, he said. Discussions with Oman have continued for the past seven to eight days, with some progress, while contacts with several regional and non-regional countries continue.