Iran Calls Successive Maritime Incidents in Sea of Oman ‘Suspicious’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has described as totally suspicious the reports of successive security incidents involving vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, warning against any effort to create a vicious atmosphere to pursue certain political goals.

Khatibzadeh at the same time reaffirmed Iran’s policy of establishing security and stability in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and said Iranian naval forces are prepared to provide support, if needed, to vessels that send distress signals while passing through the strategic waters of the region.

“In case of problems in navigation systems, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to provide assistance and investigate the matter closely,” he added.

He further expressed Iran’s preparedness to cooperate with the regional countries to boost maritime security and monitoring of naval transit routes.

Meanwhile, Spokesman for Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Shekarchi also said the conflicting reports by American, Israeli and Saudi media about marine insecurity and hijacking of ships in regional waters are part of a psychological war aimed at setting the scene for new adventurism.

He said the Iranian Armed Forces help the safe navigation of cargo ships, but at the same time are fully aware of all suspicious moves, and are totally prepared.

Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.