Tehran, Aug 2: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned the United States against taking any “adventurous” actions, saying those responsible would bear the consequences, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

Araghchi made the remarks during separate phone conversations with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during which they exchanged views on the latest regional developments, Mehr said in a report.

Araghchi told Munir and Fidan that Iran was fully prepared to safeguard its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security, and would respond decisively to any act of aggression, reports Xinhua news agency.

In talks with his Saudi counterpart, Araghchi warned that any hostile US or Israeli action, as well as any regional support for it, would draw a firm, proportionate response from Iran’s armed forces, it added.

Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of violating the peace memorandum of understanding they reached mid-June, citing its continued strikes on Iranian targets, blockade on Iranian ports and commercial shipping, and stepped-up economic pressure.

In a statement, the ministry vowed to continue to resist US “unlawful aggression” and to firmly defend its national dignity and independence.

The remarks followed renewed exchanges of airstrikes between the United States and Iran after days of pause.

Before the pause, the United States had launched multiple waves of strikes against Iranian targets, saying they were in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and aimed at “degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.”

Earlier, Araghchi has warned Britain against any military cooperation with the United States in carrying out strikes on Iran.

Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Friday, stressing that any cooperation with “aggressors,” including under the pretext of existing defense agreements, would be “unacceptable,” according to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

Tokyo, Aug 2: The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to 38, the prefectural government said Sunday.

At a disaster response headquarters meeting held Sunday morning, Kumamoto Prefecture Government officials announced that 38 people had died, including those whose deaths are still being investigated to determine whether they were caused by the magnitude 7.1 tremor, Xinhua news agency reported.

At a Nippon Paper factory in Yatsushiro City, where the earthquake caused a smokestack to collapse, rescue teams pulled 10 people from the site. Eight of them were confirmed dead, while two sustained injuries. Another person who had been missing was found in the rubble shortly after noon on Thursday, though the individual’s condition has not yet been disclosed.

At Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town, where a large explosion occurred after the earthquake, 12 people have been rescued. Seven of them were confirmed dead, and five were injured. Police and firefighters are continuing search operations to determine whether anyone else remains trapped inside the building.

More than 9,400 people are currently staying at 406 evacuation shelters across the prefecture, officials said.

The earthquake has also left approximately 79,700 households without water. Local authorities said there is currently no timetable for restoring water service in any of the affected municipalities.

Meanwhile, around 19,000 households remained without electricity as of Thursday afternoon. According to Kyushu Electric Power, power is expected to be restored by Friday evening if repair work proceeds as planned.

On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held the Second Extraordinary Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting for the Kumamoto earthquake. Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Kimura, as well as Deputy Minister Tsushima of the Cabinet Office, attended the meeting virtually.

Takaichi offered condolences to the victims and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families. She assured that the Japanese government is working swiftly to assess the damage caused by the earthquake, while relevant ministries and agencies are working to address initial responses.

Tehran, Aug 1: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned Britain against any military cooperation with the United States in carrying out strikes on Iran.

Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, stressing that any cooperation with “aggressors,” including under the pretext of existing defence agreements, would be “unacceptable,” according to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

Araghchi criticised what he described as the British government’s “unjustified and inappropriate” policies toward Iran, citing London’s recent designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat and its “complicity” in two wars imposed by the United States and Israel against Iran in recent months. He called on Britain to reconsider its approach toward Tehran.

He said that under international law and the Convention for the Definition of Aggression, allowing a country’s territory and facilities to be used for illegal attacks against another state constitutes an act of aggression and gives the attacked country the right to self-defence.

Araghchi said Iran had entered a diplomatic process with the United States in good faith and signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington in June aimed at ending the conflict, but Washington failed to honour its commitments, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also highlighted Iran’s efforts to establish operational mechanisms with Oman to manage shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that third-party interference would only further complicate matters.

For his part, Miliband said his country was not involved in the war against Iran and maintained that diplomacy was the way to resolve disputes.

Last month, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the continued US use of British military bases for operations related to Iran, maintaining a policy established by his predecessor.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli bases and assets in the region, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz.