Iran Guards Its Commercial Ships in the Red Sea Amid Israeli Retaliation Concerns
Washington hints at restricting Abdullahian's movements during his participation in UN meetings amid efforts to strengthen sanctions against Iran
The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted naval commander Shahram Irani on Wednesday as saying that the Iranian navy would accompany Iranian commercial ships to the Red Sea according to the semi-official Tasnim agency, as Israeli threats to retaliate against missile and drone attacks loom.
“He added: “We accompany our ships from the Gulf of Aden to the Suez Canal and are ready to protect ships from other countries as well,” emphasizing that “the destroyer Jamaran is currently present in the Gulf of Aden and will continue its mission to the Red Sea”.
Meanwhile, the commander of the Iranian army’s ground forces, General Kioumarth Heidari, stressed that there would be “no compromise with the aggressor of Iranian lands,” adding: “Let the Zionist regime know that if it tries to make a mistake, it will receive an overwhelming response that will make it regret it.”
Iran threatened maritime navigation in the region as the M.S.C. company, whose Iranian authorities seized the M.S.C. Arias ship last month, composed of 25 crew members, said discussions were ongoing with Iranian authorities for their release.
Iran seized the ship flying the Portuguese flag on April 13, later stating that the reason was a “violation of maritime laws.”
The company said in a statement: “We are also working with Iranian authorities to release the cargo,” while Portugal summoned the Iranian ambassador yesterday Tuesday to condemn the attack Tehran carried out against Israel earlier in the week and demand the immediate release of the ship flying its flag.
Zodiac Maritime company said in a statement that the international shipping company M.S.C. had chartered the ship Arias from the subsidiary company Jortugal Shipping, a subsidiary of Zodiac, adding that the M.S.C. company was responsible for all activities of the ship. Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer has a stake in Zodiac.
Amid escalating Israeli threats, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued new warnings to Israel against any attack on his country, saying that “the recent attack was punitive and limited.”
Tehran warned Tel Aviv to deal “firmly and severely” with any attack on Iranian territory during a military parade of the Iranian army on its national day, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.
Iranian President’s Warning Comes Amid Israeli Threats of Retaliation
The British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, stated that it is clear Israel has decided to retaliate against the Iranian attack and he hopes they will do so in a way that keeps escalation to a minimum.
Cameron told reporters in Israel on Wednesday, “It is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act… we hope that they will do so in a way that does not lead to escalation as much as possible.”
He added that his country wants to impose coordinated sanctions on Iran and said, “The G7 should send a clear message” to Iran.
On the other hand, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced that new sanctions would be imposed on Iran due to its military response to Israel, stating in a statement issued Tuesday evening that “President Joe Biden is coordinating a comprehensive response to Iran with members of Congress and US allies and partners.”
He indicated that new sanctions would be imposed on Iran in this context, adding: “In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran.”
Regarding the areas of sanctions, he stated that they include “Iranian missile and drone programs, organizations supporting the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Revolutionary Guard.”
He revealed that Washington continues to enhance the integration of air and missile defense and early warning systems in the Middle East against Iran’s missile and drone capabilities.
He expected that allied countries and other partners would impose sanctions on Iran after the United States, pointing out that “these new sanctions and other measures will continue to pressure Iran to control its military capabilities, weaken it, and confront all its problematic behaviors.”
The United States hinted at the possibility of restricting the movements of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian if he comes to the country to participate in UN meetings.
Responding to a question about whether Abdullahian will be granted a visa, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press conference on Tuesday, “I do not expect to see the Iranian foreign minister in many places outside the United Nations if he participates in the UN meeting,” indicating the possibility of imposing significant restrictions on the movements of specific diplomats.
Earlier, the Iranian mission to the United Nations confirmed that Abdullahian would be in New York tomorrow, Thursday, for a session of the UN Security Council regarding Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday, Republican Senator James Lankford called on the State Department to revoke Abdullahian‘s entry visa to the United States, justifying his request by Iran’s military response to Israel.
Former President Donald Trump‘s administration had refused to grant a visa to former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to participate in a United Nations meeting.
