Iran cáo buộc Mỹ muốn chiếm đoạt dầu mỏ

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the U.S. of seeking to divide the country in order to seize Tehran's oil resources.

At a press conference today, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran as a "violation of all international norms and practices." He accused the U.S. of undermining the diplomatic process that both sides had worked hard to implement, thus leading the Iranian people to now "unite in defending their country."

"Their plot is all too clear, their intentions are not difficult to discern. They want to divide our country to illegally seize Iran's abundant oil resources," Baghaei said.

He referred to recent statements by some U.S. politicians suggesting that access to Iran's oil could give Washington control over a large portion of the global oil resources.

[Image caption: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei at a press conference in Tehran, December 2025.] Photo: AFP

Earlier, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, stated that if "the Iranian regime collapses, we will have a new Middle East, and we will make a lot of money."

Senator Graham pointed out that Venezuela and Iran hold 31% of the world's oil reserves. "The U.S. will have partnerships with those who hold this oil. This will be a nightmare for China. This is a lucrative investment," he said.

Last week, Iran launched a series of missiles and drones into Israeli territory and Gulf states with a U.S. presence, causing damage to the host countries. Baghdadi emphasized that Iran is committed to maintaining good and friendly relations with its neighbors, but has the right to self-defense if those countries' territories are used to launch attacks against Iran.

President Baghaei dismissed reports last week that Iran had launched missiles toward Türkiye, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan, suggesting these could be "staged" attacks aimed at creating a rift between Tehran and these countries.

"Throughout history, Iran has been the graveyard of many ambitions and illusions of foreign powers," he said.

The conflict in Iran has entered its 10th day and shows no signs of abating. The fighting has claimed more than 1,500 lives. The situation risks further escalation as the US and Israel expand their attacks from political and military targets to include civilian industrial facilities in Iran. Tehran has retaliated, causing damage to numerous oil and energy infrastructure facilities in the Middle East.

Iran has declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes, and attacked approximately 10 cargo ships transiting the strait. Military activity has forced shipping companies to abandon the route through the Hormuz Strait, causing world oil prices to skyrocket.

A series of tit-for-tat attacks in the Iran conflict.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned today of the risk of global inflation, adding that her advice to policymakers is "to prepare for seemingly impossible scenarios." G7 finance ministers are expected to meet later today to discuss the possibility of coordinated releases from strategic oil reserves.

Meanwhile, President Trump dismissed concerns, saying the high cost of oil is "a very small price to pay."