Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter on
Friday that any military presence in the Gulf from outside the region would be
a “source of insecurity” for Iran, and Tehran would act to safeguard its
security.
Washington is lobbying
international partners to join a maritime security coalition at a time of
heightened tensions with Iran. Tehran earlier on Friday warned against any
presence of its arch-foe Israel in the planned coalition.
The Arabian Gulf is a vital
lifeline and thus national security priority for Iran, which has long ensured
maritime security, Zarif said in his tweet.
“Mindful of this reality, any
extra-regional presence is by definition (a) source of insecurity ... Iran
won’t hesitate to safeguard its security,” Zarif said.
Britain said on Monday it was
joining the United States in the maritime security mission in the Gulf to
protect vessels after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker.
Traffic in the Strait,
through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes, has become the focus of
a standoff between Iran and the United States after President Donald Trump quit
a 2015 nuclear pact and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
Iran says the responsibility
of securing these waters lies with Tehran and other countries in the region.
The United Arab Emirates and
Saudi Arabia, which support U.S. policy against Iran, have called on the
international community to safeguard maritime trade and security of global oil
supplies.