The US-led naval coalition to protect shipping in the Persian Gulf formally was launched in Bahrain on Thursday. But the notable point is that countries have not welcomed this plan. Only a few countries with ineffective naval power have joined the coalition.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami warned of the Washington government’s continued hostilities against the Islamic Republic and said the only way to counter the US sanctions is to boost Iran’s defense power.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran’s call for the annihilation of Israel has nothing to do with the Jewish people, but wants the elimination of the Zionist regime.

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mojtaba Zonnour described the presence of US military forces in Syria as the root cause of insecurity in the Arab country and called for an immediate end to their “uninvited presence”.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami shrugged off the US government’s recent sanctions against the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff and some high-ranking military people and said the move would have no negative effect on the forces.

The latest statement issued by Iraq’s supreme Shiite authority, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hosseini Sistani, on the current developments in Iraq is undoubtedly an indicator of his intelligent and comprehensive monitoring of the situation in the country. The grand ayatollah’s efforts are intended to put a real end to the current crisis engulfing the country.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "It is China's consistent belief that the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA and maximum pressure campaign against Iran is the root cause of the current crisis."

TEHRAN - President Hassan Rouhani says that discord and division are what the U.S. wants, adding that the country should not allow the U.S.’ wishes to be reflected by a few.

Foreign Ministry spox Abbas Mousavi has slammed the anti-Iran remarks by US Department of State spokesperson following Tehran’s decision to take the fourth step in scaling down its JCPOA commitments.

While senators await the US House of Representatives to move into the public phase of their impeachment inquiry, aides and members are beginning to prepare for a likely Senate trial.