Tabnak – After the seizure of a British oil tanker by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz for breaching the maritime law, London and Washington accused Iran of trying to destabilize the strait and the Persian Gulf. Iranian officials, however, reiterate the country’s commitment to guaranteeing the security of that geopolitically-important areas.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran has the responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf and will decisively confront any attempt at destabilizing the strategic waters.
“We will not allow anyone to try to disrupt order in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” the chief executive told a government meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.
“It is Iran and the other littoral states, which are chiefly responsible for securing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and the [security] issue has nothing to do with others The Iranian nation has always acted as the guardian of the Persian Gulf,” Rouhani emphasized.
Rouhani strongly warned against acts of “mischief” in the Persian Gulf as well as violations of the international maritime law governing the body of water, calling on all sides to heed the warnings of the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz — which has been in charge of ensuring security in the maritime bottleneck.
Meanwhile, according to the latest statement released by the Iraqi ministry of oil, Iran has assured the country about the secure and free sailing of vessels in Strait of Hormuz. Iran communicated this to Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi during a visit by him to Tehran on Monday, the Iraqi ministry said in a statement.
“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (gave) reassurances to the Iraqi delegation... around guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz and respect for international law guaranteeing that,” the statement said.
On July 22, the Iraqi Prime Minister arrived in Tehran to meet with high-ranking Iranian officials, including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei and President Rouhani.
In his meeting with Abdul Mahdi, President Rouhani said Iran has always been, and will be, the key guardian of security and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.
In the same vein, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi has said the Islamic Republic will strive to ensure security of the Strait of Hormuz, and will not allow any disturbance in shipping in the strategic sea passage between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
During a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Tuesday, the Iranian diplomat reiterated his country’s resolve concerning the issue.
