“The Islamic Republic has turned into a major and invincible power in West Asia and if the Americans are planning any plots in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea or the Indian Ocean, Iran will not leave them unanswered,” he added.

“US’ policies in West Asia and its hegemony are defeated as the world is moving towards multilateralism,” Safavi said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed the US’ proposed “Coalition for Peaceful Resolution” seeking to “counter” Iran. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had described the initiative as a “coalition aimed at achieving peace.”

Zarif compared the US-backed initiative to a list of eight peace initiatives proposed by Tehran in a tweet on Friday.

Among the list were Iran’s recently proposed Persian Gulf region non-aggression pact, the 2017 Astana accord for Syria and a 2015 peace plan for Yemen.

Washington’s so-called “coalition” announcement came in response to an attack led by Yemeni Armed Forces against Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities over the weekend, which effectively halved the kingdom’s oil production.

Washington and Riyadh rushed to blame Tehran for the air raids, despite lack of any evidence. Iran has strongly rejected any involvement in the attack, calling the US’ attempt at pinning the blame on Iran in line with Washington’s maximum deceit policy.

The post Any anti-Iranian move to throw region into turmoil: Maj. Gen. Safavi appeared first on Iran News Daily.

On that basis, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, traveled to Saudi Arabia in June to discuss military alliances with Saudi leaders and asked them for help to form a military alliance. Furthermore, Pompeo named Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the strategic partners, describing the purpose of forming a military alliance in the Persian Gulf as strict monitoring of oil tankers traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and that the alliance against Iran should extend beyond the countries around the Persian Gulf, i.e. in Asia and Europe.

Shortly after the British oil tanker was seized, US President Donald Trump officially called on the international community to join the US military coalition, but the request has not yet been met.

The Secretary of State, Pompeo, in response to a worldwide negative reaction to this request, personally pursued the matter from each of countries around the Persian Gulf and Europe to convince the international community to join the US military alliance against Iran in the Persian Gulf.

The US request was met only with the slight agreement of countries such as Britain, Australia, Bahrain and the Zionist regime, and many countries are now unwilling to cooperate with the United States and are proceeding quite conservatively.

Moreover, Some European countries stated that they are not willing to participate in the coalition alone, but that if the European Union is present they will participate. Japan, one of the strongest countries in Asia, has announced that it will personally provide security of its own tankers. These countries are reluctant to break off their relations with Iran and put their policies under the policy of maximum pressure that serves the interests of the United States.

Now the question that comes to mind is whether or not the United States will succeed in this coalition.

Certainly the United States, as a global power with the support of Israel, Britain, Bahrain and Australia, will strive to make the Persian Gulf’s security “more internationally”. The United States seeks to show Iran as a threat to the world and to enter various countries into the coalition under the pretext of this matter and thus has invited its allies to join the alliance.

Most countries, however, are reluctant to participate in the American puzzle against Iran and do not want to break off their relationship with Iran. Countries such as Japan, New Zealand and the Netherlands that have economic ties with Iran have responded to the US request ambiguously; these responses indicate that their leaders are not looking for being enemy with Iran.

An important point to note here is that Pompeo, for the first time during his visit to Saudi Arabia, discussed the issue of a military alliance in the Persian Gulf and named Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates as two reliable supporters and strategic partners. In spite of this matter, none of the two countries accepted to join the coalition. It seems that these two countries are afraid of jeopardizing their interests vis-á-vis Iran and are unwilling to join the coalition.

The post Solution to providing sustainable security in Persian Gulf: transition from coalition logic appeared first on Iran News Daily.

“We have to wait to work out whether, and if so, in what form Poland could join such an initiative,” she added.

It’s unclear when Poland, which has sought to strengthen ties with the US since the Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, will make a decision on the matter, Reuters further said.

While the United Kingdom has so far been the only country to joint the US-led coalition, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed on August 5 that the US had asked more than sixty nations to join the coalition.

The US is trying to form a coalition against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf, in the meantime, Iran blames the US for rising tensions in the region with the aim of forming the coalition.

Iran has stressed that it is the main protector and guarantor of the security in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz and that the security arrangements in the region have to be shaped by the regional countries themselves.

The post Poland skeptical about joining US-led mission in Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Iran News Daily.

“After the downing of the US drone and the seizure of the British oil tanker, they became desperate. Now they think the coalition would be an answer to the decisive warnings of our defensive forces, but Iran, under no circumstances, will show any flexibility to them,” he added.

Stressing that no country would dare to launch an attack on Iran, he said it makes no difference to the Islamic Republic which countries join the coalition.

“This US coalition, like its other similar attempts, is doomed to failure,” he noted.

The chairman of the nuclear committee highlighted that the security in the region must be guaranteed by regional countries themselves, adding “countries in the region should know that the US is only seeking its own interests, and cannot establish security in our region.”

The US recently announced plans to form the coalition force to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from what it calls an Iranian threat. The move comes amid Washington’s attempts to undermine Iran’s oil exports after Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

The US has officially asked Germany, Britain and France to participate in the coalition, a request that was declined by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Japan has also refused to join the force, and France has expressed reservations.

However, the UK and the Israeli regime said they would join the coalition.

Iran has condemned the US attempts to set up the military coalition, stressing that the presence of extra-regional military forces in the strategic region would act as a source of insecurity.

The post US coalition in Persian Gulf won’t get anywhere: Nuclear cmte. chair appeared first on Iran News Daily.

“For Iran, Israel is the main enemy, and if it comes close to the Iranian border or threatens the interests of Iran, the actions of the Iranian authorities will be swift and consequential, as a result of which significant pressure will be exerted on Israel. In the end, the Iranian authorities will determine the political course towards Israel, and they will do everything in their power to prevent it from entering the region”, the Iranian scholar stressed.

The remarks came as the United States is after forming a coalition, known as Operation Sentinel, which it claims to be aimed to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has warned the US over the move saying that foreign forces’ presence in the region doesn’t have any result but increasing insecurity.

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami has conferred on the issue with his counterparts from Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait urging them to resist US efforts to expand its presence in the Persian Gulf. He said that such a move would have “disastrous consequences” for the region.

Last week, the Israeli regime said it is ready to join the US coalition. Tehran, in response, warned Tel Aviv that any anti-Iran movement will bear grave consequences for them. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi warned on Friday that the Israeli presence in the Persian Gulf is a clear threat to the national security and that Iran reserves the right to defend itself. He highlighted that the responsibility for all the consequences of such a dangerous move will fall upon the US and the illegal Zionist regime.

The post Israeli regime seeking to ignite conflict between PG states: scholar appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Shortly after the announcement, Iran warned the Israeli regime over the consequences of such decision.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said the Islamic Republic considers possible Israeli presence in a US-led coalition in the Persian Gulf as a clear threat to its national security and reserves the right to counter it within the framework of the country’s deterrence and defensive policy.

“The US regime and the illegitimate Zionist regime are responsible for all the consequences of this dangerous move,” he added.

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said on August 7 that the regime would be part of the US-led coalition to “protect the security of the Persian Gulf”.

Katz claimed that Israel was determined to stop “Iranian entrenchment” in the Middle East region and strengthen Tel Aviv’s relationship with Persian Gulf countries.

The Zionist regime’s possible presence in the coalition comes with multiple goals, hence brings various consequences:

1. Containing Iran; one of the main reasons behind the Israelis’ interest in joining the coalition is to seize the opportunity to make their wish come true to contain Iran in the Persian Gulf.

2. Accompanying the US in its anti-Iran policies to boost such hostilities.

3. Ensuring the Arab countries’ security under the US protective umbrella; although the Israeli regime does not have any navy, the so-called coalition would give it the opportunity to claim its protective role for the Persian Gulf’s Arab states.

4. Normalizing ties with Arab countries. Former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion had once said he was afraid of Arabs’ all-out invasion, wishing to normalize the Zionists’ relations with them. In the same vein, Katz has expressed hope that the Zionists manage to sign agreements on complete normalization of ties with the Persian Gulf littoral Arab states as the regime’s first step.

5. the possible presence of Europeans, including France and Germany in the coalition will be equal to the violation and complete death of the Iran nuclear deal.

6. The Israelis’ presence in the Persian Gulf will foment the tensions and add to the volatility of the region, and will be considered as an element threatening Iran’s security; however, Iran has warned that it reserves the right to defend itself against the Zionists’ threats.

7. The presence of the mentioned coalition, just like any other trans-regional coalition, is basically against the United Nations Charter. Besides, creating a military coalition against a member-state of the UN will need the organization’s permission. According to the UN Charter’s Article 52, the international body recognizes establishing regional arrangements to maintain international peace and security. But, firstly the US-proposed coalition is not a “regional” organization since the trans-regional states play the major role in it; and secondly, under the UN Charter’s Article 53, the UN Security Council shall, where appropriate, utilize such regional arrangements or agencies for enforcement action under its authority, and no enforcement action shall be taken under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorization of the Council.

8. By joining the collation, the Israelis seek to show Iran as the main threat in the region; that is somehow the Zionists’ way of projection to divert the attention from their occupation, which is in fact the main reason behind the region’s conflicts.

9. Linking the Persian Gulf security to that of the Bab-el-Mandeb in line with the Saudis’ plans is aimed at curbing Iran’s regional policies and engaging other international players in the regional developments. This is while the Persian Gulf legal status must be determined by its states, as the right to ensure the safety of vessels in the international waters is reserved for the littoral countries.

10. Establishing a coalition with the leadership of the United States basically means the provision of the grounds for triggering a war in the region and will bring multiple consequences with it.

11. Although the Arab front that had worried Ben-Gurion has been eliminated due to some Arab ruler’s parallel policies with the Israelis, the Resistance Front is still making the regime lose sleep.

12. Israelis presence in this coalition will be a clear declaration of war against the Islamic Republic, and any offensive against the Zionist regime in the Persian Gulf will be within the UN Charter’s frameworks in order to defend Iran’s integrity and security.

The post Israelis playing with fire if join US coalition in Persian Gulf appeared first on Iran News Daily.

“It may be the case that some regional countries and the Zionist regime have devised such plans [attacks] against Iran but they know well that if they inflict any minor damage to Iran, they will receive our firm response as all US bases in the region will get stuck. And if they have a little bit of rationale, they will not enter a war with Iran,” Larijani said.

In the first place, US and its allies are after increasing economic pressure on Iranian people to rise their dissatisfaction at the government, he said, adding that enemies have failed in this plot so far and so they are trying to hamper the country’s economic growth.

“The American nation is get stuck with a corrupt extremist group which often suffer delusions,” the Iranian top lawmaker added.

Foreign Minister Zarif was sanctioned by Washington since he played a major role in revealing US’s wrong path in foreign policy.

Tensions in the region erupted after US implemented a series of hostile policies on Iran, namely the withdrawal from the nuclear deal, re-imposition of economic sanctions, deploying forces in the region, and designating IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization among others. Tehran says it doesn’t look for war but also stresses that it will strongly defend against any possible threats.

The situation became more complicated when UK Royal Forces seized a tanker laden with Iranian oil in Gibraltar, claiming that the shipment was headed to Syria which is under EU sanctions. Iran strongly condemned the illegal seizure, noting that the tanker was not headed to Syria and that Iran is not an EU member to be subject to such embargos. In the last string of events some two weeks later, a UK-flagged oil tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz turned off its transponder and was moving in the wrong direction after colliding with an Iranian vessel and ignoring warnings of Iranian forces. The ship was eventually seized by IRGC due to failure to abide by international regulations.

After Iran seized the UK-flagged oil tanker, US, in another escalatory measure, proposed to establish a coalition in the Persian Gulf claiming it to be aimed at securing international waters but is believed to be a coalition against Iran.

The post If there remains little rationale in enemies, they won’t attack Iran: Larijani appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The Prime Minister said any Australian co-operation in an US-led mission in the Strait of Hormuz would depend on the details of the mission and the size of the international coalition.

Former Australian Foreign Minister Mr Carr told The Australian today any mission to protect shipping could not be separated from the Trump Administration’s other points of conflict with the Iran.

“It’s altogether appropriate for the Australian ministers to take their time with this request from our US ally,” he said.

“While some in the US administration pitch this as about freedom of navigation, there are others working furiously behind the scenes to turn this into yet another ‘regime change war’ in the Middle East.

“It is of concern is that one of those people is John Bolton, the president’s national security adviser.

“The best advice for Australian ministers is to cleave closely to the position of our European partners, rather than to the ebb and flow of American alarms.”

Mr Carr also warned Mr Morrison that there could be a political cost to joining any US-led military action in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Australian public opinion would be heavily against entering another US-led war in the region,” Mr Carr told The Australian.

The post Australian politician warns of joining US coalition in Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Scholz said on Wednesday he was very skeptical about a request by the United States to join a military mission for the Strait of Hormuz.

“I’m very skeptical about that, and I think that’s a skepticism that many others share,” Scholz told ZDF television.

Scholz said it was important to avoid a military escalation in the region and that such a mission carried the risk of being dragged into an even bigger conflict.

“That’s why I think this is not a good idea,” he said.

Asked whether the coalition parties shared the same view on the US request, Scholz said: “Yes, that’s my impression.”

Scholz has appealed for efforts to prevent an escalation of tensions in the Gulf, and said the country was working closely with France and Britain, according to an interview with the Funke group of newspapers.

“The goal of all responsible politicians must be to observe the situation very soberly and carefully, and not to sleepwalk into an even bigger crisis,” Scholz told the Funke group. “De-escalation is the order of the day.”

He said Germany was coordinating closely with France and Britain, and the goal remained to uphold the nuclear agreement with Iran.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that since Berlin gives priority to reducing tensions and diplomatic efforts, it has rejected the US proposal to set up maritime coalition against Iran in the Persian Gulf.

Last week, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin had yet to take a final decision on joining an international coalition to protect commercial ships in the region.

Furthermore, UK has called for a European-led maritime mission to ensure safe passage around the Persian Gulf, following Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged tanker last week.

According to German News Service (DW), Germany’s coalition government is split over whether to contribute to the UK’s proposed mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Social Democrats say military options would only escalate the conflict.

Earlier this month, Iran seized a UK-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz for violating international maritime rules, while the UK had previously captured an Iranian supertanker in the Gibraltar. Iran has condemned the British seizure of the ‘Grace 1’ as ‘piracy’ and demanded the ship be freed.

The post Germany’s Scholz ‘very skeptical’ about US mission for Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that before making a decision on joining the United States, Japan wants to fulfill what it sees as a unique role it has to play in reducing tension, adding that he had not yet decided on how to respond to an expected US request to send its navy to join a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen.

The post Japan not considering sending SDF for US-proposed maritime coalition: Japanese official appeared first on Iran News Daily.