MOSCOW – Tensions in the Persian Gulflink have spiked recently after theUS complained of “harassment” by Iranian gunboats sailing in closeproximity with US warships, which prompted a series of mutual threats fromboth Washingon and Tehran.
Russia is concerned by the US threats to Iran amid tensions in the PersianGulf link and is calling on bothsides to exercise restraint, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkovsaid on Saturday.
According to the diplomat, the United States is interpreting its right toself-defence in its own way by threatening Iran with attacks in the Gulf.
“This is one of the methods that create uncertainty in the internationalcommunity, this is a deliberate desire to sow discord among members of theinternational community, given that different countries interpret therelevant provisions of international law differently. This is one of theelements of US policy that is aimed at continuing to play on the nerves”,Ryabkov stated.
President Trump announced that he “instructed” the US Navy to “shoot downand destroy” any Iranian vessels that harass American warships. Thedevelopment follows complaints by the Navy that some Iranian vessels werein dangerously close proximity to American warships in the Persian Gulflink.
The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salamiwarned the US against engaging in hostile actions against Iranian vessels,threatening a “crushing response”.
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Iran’s Foreign Minister, in turn, noted that the US “has no business 7,000miles away from home” provoking Iranian sailors in its territorial waters.
Tensions between Iran and the US intensified in January followingthe killing of Iran’s top military commander Qasem Soleimani by a US dronestrike at the Baghdad international airport. Shia militia commander AbuMahdi Muhandis was also killed in the attack. Washington alleged that thetwo commanders had been involved in the attack on the US Embassy in Baghdadin December 2019.
Tehran responded to Soleimani’s killing by carrying out airstrikes againsttwo US military bases in Iraq.
