TEHRAN – The United States is unable to build a naval coalition to escorttankers in the Gulf because its allies are too “ashamed” to join it, Iran’sforeign minister said Monday.
“Today the United States in alone in the world and cannot create acoalition. Countries that are its friends are too ashamed of being in acoalition with them,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told a news conference in Tehran.
“They brought this situation upon themselves, with lawbreaking, by creatingtensions and crises.”
Iran and the United States have been locked in a battle of nerves since May2018 when President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 dealplacing limits on Iran’s nuclear programme and began reimposing sanctions.
Tensions soared after the Trump administration stepped up a US campaign of”maximum pressure” against Iran, with drones downed and tankersmysteriously attacked in Gulf waters.
In response, the United States has been seeking to form a coalition whosemission — dubbed Operation Sentinel — it says is to guarantee freedom ofnavigation in the strategic Gulf waters.
However, it has been struggling to build such a coalition, with Europeancountries reticent and believed to be concerned about being dragged into apossible conflict.
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Asked on Monday about reports that he had been invited to meet Trump in theWhite House, Zarif said he had turned it down despite the threat ofsanctions against him.
“I was told in New York I would be sanctioned in two week unless I acceptedthat offer, which fortunately I did not,” said the Iranian minister.
The New Yorker magazine reported on Friday that Senator Rand Paul met Zarifin the US on July 15 and had Trump’s blessing when he extended aninvitation to the Iranian minister to go to the White House.
The United States imposed sanctions against Zarif on Wednesday, targetingany assets he has in America and squeezing his ability to function as aglobe-trotting diplomat. -APP/AFP
