Signs of growing tension in the Persian Gulf: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with his Emirati counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Aal Nahyan, on Sunday and called on him to support a local initiative to calm regional tensions.
The Iranian minister spoke by phone with his counterpart and told him that "the countries of the region have the power to achieve regional security without involving foreign forces in the situation." In his remarks, Abdollahian referred to the growing military tension in the Persian Gulf after the United States significantly increased the presence of forces in the Persian Gulf.
On Friday, the British Telegraph reported that the United States was preparing for significant action against Iran in the Persian Gulf, following repeated attempts by the Iranians to attack oil tankers in Gulf waters. The newspaper pointed to the transfer of advanced weapons such as F-35 stealth fighter jets and naval units to UAE territory as part of a change in American military deployment.
The newspaper predicted a possible military clash between the sides that would "end badly for the Iranians, as happened in the past." The United States and Iran have clashed several times over an Iranian attempt to undermine freedom of navigation in the Gulf, clashes that ended in "total disaster for Tehran," according to the article.
Iran, for its part, responded to the consolidation of American forces with dismissiveness and confidence in its military capabilities. Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Karai Ashtiani said of the situation: "America is acting according to its plans, but the Islamic Republic has reached such a level of power and control that no one is able to effectively resist it."
On Thursday, the US military's Central Command said in a statement that the reinforcement of forces in the Persian Gulf region was intended to protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz from "Iranian aggression." "In response to Iran's recent attempts to seize commercial vessels in the area, the Central Command has activated a directive, the Secretary of Defense has ordered the deployment of an amphibious readiness group alongside a Marine Corps force to this area. The force will arrive in addition to reinforcing F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and a guided missile ship."
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