Iran refutes Western allegations about involvement in Red Sea security crises
Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Ali Akbar Safaei, has categorically denied Western allegations that the Islamic Republic is destabilizing the Red Sea, blaming the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon for the growing instability in the region.
Addressing the 133rd session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in London on Monday, Safaei lamented that certain delegates, including that of the United States, exploit the United Nations agency in order to advance their political agenda and level false and unsubstantiated claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He elaborated on Iran's stance on maritime safety and security, stating that the Islamic Republic reiterates its commitment to freedom of navigation and underlines the need for safeguarding maritime security in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
The senior Iranian official went on to describe Yemenis as an independent and influential nation in the region, stating that they take decisions and act on the basis of their own discretion, interests and considerations.
“Hence the Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects any baseless claim by some [Western] governments, and views it as an excuse to justify and legitimize the illegal US actions and military invasion of Yemen,” Safaei said.
He condemned the unlawful use of force and the US military invasion of Yemen as a clear violation of the Arab country's territorial integrity, UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions, emphasizing such conduct seriously threatens the peace, stability and security of the region.
Safaei denounced US and British military aggression against Yemen, dismissing Washington’s claims that it is exercising the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter as “unjustified”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran abides by Security Council Resolutions 2140 and 2216 and has never done anything in their defiance, like sales and transfer of weapons. Additionally, my country has always stressed the need for the peaceful resolution of Yemen crisis through diplomatic means, and stands committed to the preservation and promotion of maritime security and freedom of navigation,” he said.
Safaei described the Zionist regime’s atrocities and massacres in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, which are being committed with the full support of the United States, as the root cause of insecurity in the Red Sea.
He also lashed out at the US, UK and their allies for their full support of the occupying Tel Aviv regime.
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