He
suggested that eight littoral states of the Persian Gulf should form a naval
alliance to ensure regional security without the presence of outsiders.
In comments at a televised program on Sunday, Tangsiri said
the Persian Gulf countries are capable of ensuring regional security through
mutual cooperation within the framework of an 8-nation alliance, according to
Tasnim News.
He added that the naval alliance would help the regional
people live in peace, reminding the neighboring states that the outsiders provoke
Iranophobia to justify their illegitimate presence in the region.
The
commander warned that the foreign military forces are in the region with the
purpose of selling arms and plundering the oil resources.
In June, Shahram Irani, the chief commander of the Iranian
Army’s Navy, dropped a bombshell that jolted the US into reiterating its
presence in the Persian Gulf.
Irani
said a maritime coalition in the north Indian Ocean will be established with
the participation of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar,
Bahrain, Pakistan, and India.
“Today, the countries of the region have reached the point,
where they believe, that if there is to be security in the region, it can be
done and established through synergy and cooperation,” he said, adding that new
coalitions are taking shape in the region and beyond in this regard.
Irani continued, “Soon we will witness that our region will
be free from any unjustified force and the people of the region will be
dominant in their security field using their soldiers.”
The
commander said Iran had already launched joint regional action with Oman. Saudi
Arabia has entered this action, he noted. “The UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq,
Pakistan, and India are also included,” Admiral Irani stated.
He pointed out, “Almost all the countries of the north
Indian Ocean area have come to believe that they should stand by the Islamic
Republic of Iran and jointly establish security with significant synergy.”
The US was quick to dismiss the Iranian initiative. It
described the Iranian proposed maritime coalition as defying reason.
“It
defies reason that Iran, the number one cause of regional instability, claims
it wants to form a naval security alliance to protect the very waters it
threatens,” US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces spokesperson Cmdr. Tim
Hawkins said, according to Breaking Defense.
