Waterways security equal to Iran security: Iranian Defense Minister

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that his country considers the security of waterways as its own security.

Iran Press/Iran news: Hatami rejected US’ unfounded accusations against Iran on recent tanker attacks.

Talking to reporters after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting in Tehran, Hatami strongly rejected US’ unfounded accusations against Iran on recent tanker attacks, Mehr News Agency reported.

He highlighted that all efforts by the Iranian Armed Forces are aimed at establishing peace in the region.

Two oil tankers, one owned by Norway and the other by Japan, were struck by blasts in the Sea of Oman on Thursday.

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The US was quick to point the finger of blame at the Islamic Republic, a month after it accused Tehran of involvement in attacks that crippled four tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

US president Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was behind Thursday’s blasts without providing evidence to back up his claim.

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Iran rejects US claims about attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman

Hatami went on to say that Iran is a strong and law-abiding country and will take responsibility for its actions. These allegations are part of the US efforts against the Iranian Armed Forces who play a major role in ensuring security in the region and international waterways.

“Another important point is that the US has not made any direct military intervention in the past 10 years; Instead, they have used proxy groups such as ISIS to attain their goals,” said the defense minister.

Iranian senior official noted: “what happened in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the port of Fujairah were very similar, in terms of its management and type, to the US behaviors which are aimed at creating insecurity in waterways to serve their own interests.”

Pointing to a video published by the US which accuses Iran of conducting the attacks, Hatami said that neither the date nor the place of capturing the video is clear and it cannot be verified.

“When Iranian ships were dispatched to the place to conduct rescue operations, the US had the opportunity to capture the video and show them in a way they like," he noted, adding, “such videos don’t carry any authenticity.”

He further described the current situation as ‘complex’, calling on all to follow it with careful attention.

Several officials from different countries have rejected the US' unfounded accusations regarding Iran's role in the oil tankers' incident. 101/214

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