Israeli Presence in US-Led Maritime Coalition A Threat to Iran’s Security: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi condemned the Israeli regime’s decision to join the US-led military coalition for maritime security in the Persian Gulf, saying it is “a clear threat to Iran’s national security”.
“The announcement of the possible presence of the regime occupying Quds (Israel) in the self-proclaimed military alliance in the Persian Gulf is a clear threat to Iran's national security,” Mousavi said in a statement on Friday.
“Iran reserves the right to counter this threat within the framework of the country's defense policy and responsibility for all the consequences of this dangerous act would lie with the American regime and the illegitimate Zionist regime,” he noted.
According to local reports, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Tel Aviv will join the US-led coalition to protect the security of the Persian Gulf.
The remarks came against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US after the Islamic Republic shot down an advanced US spy drone over its territorial waters.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on June 20 that a US spy drone that violated the Iranian territorial airspace in the early hours of the day was shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defense unit near the Kooh-e-Mobarak region in the southern province of Hormozgan.
The intruding drone was reportedly shot by Iran’s homegrown air defense missile system “Khordad-3rd”.
Later on the same day, US President Donald Trump said he had called off a retaliatory attack on a number of targets in Iran and said that he was ready to speak with Iranian leaders and come to an understanding that would allow the country to improve its economic prospects. “What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me.”
“I look forward to the day where we can actually help Iran. We're not looking to hurt Iran,” Trump added.
However, on June 24 Trump announced new sanctions against top Iranian officials, including the office of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s foreign minister, and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).