Iran’s FM Zarif : US cannot create insecurity in Persian Gulf

PressTV-‘Only regional states can maintain Persian Gulf security’

The IRGC’s chief commander says no coalition of countries other than the

Persian Gulf’s own littoral states can be trusted with providing

the region’s security.

The United States has announced plans to form a coalition to supposedly protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following a series of mysterious attacks on oil tankers in the strait and the Sea of Oman.

Washington has accused Iran of having a hand in those attacks, a claim Tehran has strongly rejected. Tehran has warned that such acts of sabotage may be part of a general ploy to target Iran amid increasing regional tensions.

The US has asked its allies to join the coalition, a call which has not been warmly received by several countries, including Germany, Japan and Spain, over apparent fears that such a mission could further ratchet up tensions with Iran.

The foreign minister said Iran has proven its disinclination towards escalating tensions, citing the country’s bilateral and multilateral negotiations with the previous US administration that resulted in the conclusion of a 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and major world powers, which if officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

‘US on the wrong side, not Iran’

Zarif, meanwhile, noted how American authorities had thought that Iran would “fall apart” within seven days of their adopting of the approach.

The country, however, withstood the pressure as it has against all aggressors, including Genghis Khan and Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein. “We have been standing tall there for the past 7,000 years,” Zarif said.

‘Iran ship was not in violation of EU laws’

Those choosing to act against the Islamic Republic have now come to resort to “threaten our maritime security,” Zarif said, citing Britain and Gibraltar’s detention of Iranian supertanker Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, off Gibraltar early last month.

The ship was seized based on the allegation that it was violating the European Union’s unilateral sanctions against Syria by taking oil to the Arab country.

‘US cause of insecurity in Persian Gulf’

Later on Thursday, Zarif took part in a press conference with his Norwegian counterpart, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, in the Norwegian capital, slamming presence of foreign forces in the Persian Gulf as a cause of insecurity.

He described Iran as “the most important pivot of shipping security in the region,” and observed that a military build-up would not contribute to regional security.

The Islamic Republic has made respect for shipping freedom a plank of its policy, Zarif said, urging all other countries to behave likewise.

He defined respect for the principle of multilateralism as “one of our biggest concerns.”

Zarif finally said he would be traveling to Paris at President Hassan Rouhani’s behest to discuss with the French officials proposals offered by French President Emmanuel Macron for saving the nuclear agreement and “arriving at common grounds.”

PressTV-‘Iran to cut more JCPOA commitments if EU fails to act’

Foreign Minister Zarif says Iran will definitely suspend more of its commitments

under the JCPOA unless the European co-signatories act to fulfill their end of

the deal.

Macron has recently stepped up diplomatic contacts with Tehran in a bid to allegedly cease the US economic war against Iran and deescalate tensions in the region.

The French president’s top diplomatic advisor traveled to Iran to hold talks with the country’s officials with the aim of contributing to easing tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

According to a French presidency official, Emmanuel Bonne “did indeed travel to Iran on June 19 … to hold high-level talks with the objective of contributing to a de-escalation of tensions in the region.”

PressTV-Macron’s top aide visits Iran to ‘ease tensions’

The French president’s top diplomatic advisor has traveled to Iran with the aim

of helping de-escalate tensions.