Iran denounces American-led plans for a “maritime coalition” in the Persian Gulf

Tabnak – In line with its general policy line of maximizing pressures on Iran, the United States has started a campaign to form an international coalition in the Persian Gulf and Bahrain was among the first states to side with the Americans in this regard. Iranian foreign ministry has condemned the increasingly hostile approach of its Arab neighbor.

In a statement on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi denounced the Bahraini government’s anti-Iran measures, including holding suspicious and provocative meetings as well as the leveling accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran in a recent statements issued by Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry.

The spokesperson said such meetings are attempts to disrupt stability and security and pave the way for interference in the Persian Gulf region by trans-regional powers and the Zionist regime of Israel.

Mousavi also urged the Bahraini officials to stop their injudicious moves and adopt a constructive approach rather than paving the way for the realization of common enemies’ demands and schemes.

He said security in every regional country is closely intertwined with that of others in the region. “It would not be possible for some (countries) to enjoy security by compromising the security of others,” Mousavi noted.

“Regional countries are expected to ward off tension-provoking foreign interference in the region with prudence and far-sightedness,” he concluded, according to the Foreign Ministry’s official website.

His comments came after Bahrain hosted a meeting on maritime security in the Persian Gulf to address what it called Iran’s targeting of international maritime navigation in the region.

Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami warned against the consequences of a maritime coalition force the US plans to create for escorting ships in the Persian Gulf, stressing that regional security comes within the purview of regional states alone.

In separate telephone conversations with his Kuwaiti, Qatari and Omani counterparts on Thursday, General Hatami underscored that regional security would be ensured only by the regional countries.

“The military coalition that the US wants to form under the pretext of providing shipping security will only further escalate insecurity in the region,” the Iranian minister said.

Highlighting Iran’s commitment to the Persian Gulf security, General Hatami added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran spares no effort to protect maritime security in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman.”

“Security of the region is a common concern of Iran and the Persian Gulf neighbors, therefore, we believe that security must be provided by the regional countries, who should enter constructive negotiations in this regard,” the Iranian minister noted.

The Pentagon has said recently that the US was working on a new security initiative in the Persian Gulf by “shining a flashlight” in the region to deter attacks on commercial ships.