Iran Slams US Hypocrisy on West Asia Security amid Support for Israel's Atrocities

Kanaani's statement on Wednesday came in response to US national security adviser Jake Sullivan's remarks about forming a Red Sea task force for regional maritime security.

Yemeni armed forces targeted Israeli-owned vessels in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s US-backed genocidal actions in Gaza. “Contrary to US officials’ claims, the military presence of that country in the region’s lands and waters has never been a source of security, and the US government, with its illegal plots and interventions, has pursued the security and illegitimate interests of the Zionist regime at the cost of destabilizing regional countries and violating the rights of the Palestinian nation,” Kanaani said.

He emphasized the responsibility for regional security lay with regional countries, stressing the need for collective cooperation without foreign intervention. He labeled the US stance on regional security amid its support for Israel as hypocritical.

“The US (expression of) concern about the region’s security, while Washington is fully backing the war, crime and genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank by the Zionist regime, is more like a bitter joke and bespeaks the blatant hypocrisy of the US government,” Iranian speaker added.

Additionally, Kanaani referred to the US as the “main culprit” in Israel’s ongoing war crimes due to its unwavering support and weapon supplies to the occupying regime.

On October 7, Israel declared war on Gaza after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched a surprise attack against the occupied territories, dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm operation, in response to the regime's growing violence against Palestinians.

Over 16,000 Palestinians have been killed in the US-backed war, the majority of whom are women and children.