Press TV – March 26, 2026

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that US soldiers have abandoned their bases in the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries since the very beginning of the war, seeking shelter in civilian hotels and offices while turning local populations into human shields.

In a post on X on Thursday, Araghchi stated: “From outset of this war, U.S. soldiers fled military bases in GCC to hide in hotels and offices. They use GCC citizens as human shield.”

Araghchi drew a comparison to practices inside the United States, noting that American hotels routinely deny bookings to military officers whose presence could endanger civilian guests.

“Hotels in U.S. deny bookings to officers who may endanger customers. GCC hotels should do same,” the top Iranian diplomat urged.

Despite Washington’s aggressive posturing and a war of aggression on Iranian territory that began on February 28 — which targeted civilian sites including schools, hospitals, and sports facilities — American troops have shown little resolve to defend their forward positions.

Instead, they have retreated into densely populated civilian areas, recklessly exposing innocent Arab citizens to potential retaliatory actions.

Iran’s firm and precise response to the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression has repeatedly demonstrated the strength and determination of the Islamic Republic.

While Iranian forces continue to inflict defeats on the aggressors on multiple fronts, US commanders appear more concerned with self-preservation than with protecting their allies.

By hiding among civilians, the US not only violates basic principles of international humanitarian law but also endangers the very populations whose governments have hosted American bases and facilities long used to threaten regional stability and Iranian sovereignty.

The US and Israel launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran on February 28, assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with several senior officials and military commanders, as well as hundreds of civilians.

The Iranian armed forces have responded by launching almost daily missile and drone operations targeting locations in the Israeli occupied territories as well as US military bases and assets across the region.

They have also blocked the strategic Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers affiliated with the adversaries and those cooperating with them.

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