Iran: US accusations aimed at justifying Persian Gulf presence
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman strongly condemned Washington’s latest accusations against Tehran, saying the United States is just trying to justify its own meddlesome presence in the region.
Nasser Kanaani made his late Monday remarks in response to recent allegations by John Kirby, who currently serves as the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, Press TV reported.
On May 13, Kirby said the US “will work to bolster” its “defensive posture” in the Persian Gulf after Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy seized two invading foreign oil tankers in the country’s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.
Kirby used the oft-repeated refrain that Washington will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through regional waterways.
Responding to Kirby’s remarks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Islamic Republic has played the most effective role in ensuring safe naval traffic in the Persian Gulf as well as other regional and international waters, and “has always guaranteed secure passage of ships and other vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“The recent measures taken with regard to the two seized ships were due to their violations and taken through the court verdict. The goal was to prevent behaviors and moves that are against international navigation regulations,” Kanaani noted.
He added that the United States “continues to accuse Iran while its interfering and destructive policies throughout long decades have fomented and exacerbated instability and insecurity in the Persian Gulf region.”
“The new accusations leveled against Iran are mere excuses, which are aimed at justifying the continuation and further bolstering of [the United States’] meddlesome presence in the region,” Kanaani said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman noted, “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the continued presence of foreign military forces in the Persian Gulf waters as a threat against security of marine traffic in this body of water and believes that regional countries are capable of safeguarding peace and security of navigation without [any need to] the presence of foreigners.”