Iranian officials react to Israel’s decision to join a US-led coalition in the Persian Gulf

Tabnak – There have been reports over the past several days suggesting that the Israeli regime is going to join a US-led maritime coalition in the Persian Gulf. Iranian officials warn that such a scenario, which would pose a direct threat against Iran, could spark Tehran’s reaction.

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.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the United States’ attempts to set up a military coalition in the Persian Gulf to counter what it calls the “Iran threat,” stressing that the presence of extra-regional military forces in the strategic region will act as a “source of insecurity.”

Zarif, in a post published on his official Twitter page on Friday, described the Persian Gulf as a vital lifeline, and accordingly a national security priority for Iran.

“Persian Gulf is vital lifeline and thus nat'l security priority for Iran, which has long ensured maritime security. Mindful of this reality, any extra-regional presence is by definition source of insecurity - despite propaganda. Iran won't hesitate to safeguard its security.”

He added that Iran has long acted as the guarantor of maritime security in the body of water, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic will not be reluctant to safeguard its security.

On Thursday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami had also warned against the consequences of a maritime coalition force the US plans to create in the Persian Gulf, stressing that regional security comes within the purview of regional states alone.

In separate telephone conversations with his Kuwaiti, Qatari and Omani counterparts, Brigadier General Hatami underscored that “The military coalition that the US wants to form under the pretext of providing shipping security will only further escalate insecurity in the region.”