Japan Should Not Risk With Wrong Decision

Last week and almost one week after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Tokyo and his interview after his return to Tehran and his announcement that Japan is interested in presence in Chahbahar Port to have access to the Central Asian states’ markets, world media revealed a project in which Japan was not to join the U.S and British-led coalition and it was to send warship and patrol planes to the Persian Gulf seemingly to protect vessels carrying its oil.

IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

It seems the government has won the Japan parliament approval for the decision. Making such a wrong and dangerous decision and unwise strategy by a wise country like Japan was unlikely. The recent Iran-Russia-China naval drill at the Strait of Hormuz was considered as a clear announcement for Japan’s return to its perilous decision.

The Japanese should know that as long as Iran, with its determination and international demands, is not able to easily sell its oil based on the international prices and to get its money back to the country, this region will be like a powder keg.  And stepping into the region with any pretext and even with power-seeking spirit with the U.S. support is considered a risky decision and wrong strategy.

More clearly than any message, the Japanese should have received whole-heartedly the message and warning of Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi. Mr. Khanzadi during the joint Iran-Russia-China naval drill pointed to the geographical dimension of the drill and said, “What is certain is that this drill has been planned in line with the Supreme Leader’s prudence that today it is being held. The Supreme Leader on October 2009 and in meeting with cadets at Noshahr Naval University said, “Today that we are guests of the Navy which is considered a strategic force in our country as well as in many parts of the world. It must be considered a strategic force.”

That the drill has been named “Marine Security Belt” pursues certain objective, and as its title implies, its meaning is hidden in it. It means security is not centered in one point and place, and in fact it covers security of a region.

The title of the drill is somewhat bigger than the areas where the drill is carried out but it is rehearsal of what may happen in the future. Khanzadi says today the Islamic Republic of Iran’s waters due to the power of its powerful Navy, the IRGC and the Armed forces are like territory of lions and powerful presence of the Navy forces do not let anyone think of any wrong assumption against Iran’s marine interests under the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Today marine security in the oceans has regained its real meaning, and trade vessels and oil tankers in different parts of the world which ply in the waters need their securities to be guaranteed and they can ply freely in free waters.

Khanzadi has emphasized, “The political messages which the drill signals is very clear. Its first message is that we hold the drill in the Indian Ocean and not in the Persian Gulf, not in the Strait of Hormuz, or even not in north of Sea of Oman because in our opinion, these areas are safe and there is no need to hold any military drill there and security in in those areas are totally restored and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s forces do their job well based on their responsibility to the country, the region and the world and there is no need to form any new coalition.”

It seems Mr. Khanzadi has indirectly pointed to decisions of some countries like Japan for sending warship to the region. He says, “We consider the Persian Gulf a safe waterway and we believe the only insecurity in the Persian Gulf is patrol of the U.S., British and Zionist navies which just want to show the world they are here and blackmailing other countries by pretending they guarantee the security.”

Iran’s Navy Commander repeatedly warns, “Today the Islamic Republic of Iran as a powerful country in the region will not accept any threat and it does not fear to announce its policies independently.”

It is clear that Japan and all forces in the Persian Gulf, and even the Persian Gulf Arab states, have received this message but they may be tempted or deceived by the U.S. alluring promises which have been proved baseless in the JCPOA case, and they may take some naïve measures and ignore the warnings of the strongest pillar of authority in the region and the world. I wish this message could have gotten the warning sounds across to those countries and even the Japanese that they should not risk with their wrong decisions.

 By: Hamid Reza Naghashian