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TEHRAN, Jul 23 - Russia expresses unease and confusion over a proposal made by the United States for the establishment of a so-called maritime security coalition to patrol the Middle East region’s waterways.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - “It is absolutely unclear to me what our American colleagues suggest,” Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency as saying on Tuesday.
The United States has not contacted Russia concerning the initiative, he noted, saying, “They usually contact us and explain what they want, putting forward some ideas.”
Russia has its ‘own concept’
“We promote our own concept of collective security for the Persian Gulf area. We will publish it again today,” Bogdanov said.
The comments came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was “building out a coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz to keep those shipping lanes, those sea lanes open.” “There’ll be nations from all around the world that participate in that,” he added.
On July 19, the US Central Command issued a statement claiming it was “developing a multinational maritime effort, Operation Sentinel, to increase surveillance of and security in key waterways in the Middle East.”
The coalition was to be formed “in light of recent events” in the Persian Gulf, the center said.
On Tuesday, Japan likewise communicated its opposition to the idea, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying Tokyo was not weighing sending military forces for the proposed coalition.
On July 19, the US Central Command issued a statement claiming it was “developing a multinational maritime effort, Operation Sentinel, to increase surveillance of and security in key waterways in the Middle East.”
The coalition was to be formed “in light of recent events” in the Persian Gulf, the center said.
On Tuesday, Japan likewise communicated its opposition to the idea, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying Tokyo was not weighing sending military forces for the proposed coalition.
The United States and some of its Western and regional allies have been trying to blame the Islamic Republic for a series of incidents, which saw multiple explosions targeting a number of vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
They claim Tehran has been trying to retaliate against Washington’s attempts at blocking Iranian oil sales throughout the world.
The US has been trying to reduce Iran’s oil revenues to “zero” after leaving a nuclear accord with the Islamic Republic and others last year and returning the sanctions that the agreement had lifted.
Iran has roundly rejected any part in the incidents, emphasizing the significance of regional maritime security to international trade.
On July 4, British marines mounted an Iranian-operated supertanker in the Strait of Gibraltar under on the accusation that it was carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of the European Union (EU) unilateral sanctions on the Arab country. Tehran has denied that the supertanker was bound for Syria.
Later, it became known that the UK had seized the vessel at the US’s request.
Iran’s Foreign Minister repeated Tehran’s condemnation of the confiscation on Tuesday.
“The [former British prime minister Theresa] May govt’s seizure of Iranian oil at behest of US is piracy, pure & simple,” he added.
Source: Press TV
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