Iran Supports Navigation Safety in Region

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart in Tehran on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the Islamic Republic “vigorously supports shipping security across the region.”

“We warn the US and the UK to stop the war against Yemen and Gaza. There is no military solution,” the Iranian foreign minister added.

The comments came after a series of joint American and British strikes targeted the positions of the Houthi movement -officially known as Ansarullah- in Yemen.

In response to the Zionist regime's war on Gaza, the Yemeni forces have been attacking Israeli ships in the Red Sea. The US and its allies responded by launching a new maritime security operation, which this week broadened to include airstrikes on Yemeni targets.

In his comments at the press conference, Amirabdollahian said Iran insists on the avoidance of expansion of war, noting that Tehran has discussed maritime security with the Yemeni forces.

The National Salvation Government of Yemen has assured Iran that Yemenis won’t disrupt the security of the shipping industry, but they maintain that they will act against the Israeli ships as long as the war on Gaza persists, the Iranian minister added.

On the promotion of relations between Tehran and New Delhi, Amirabdollahian said negotiations have been held on a range of multilateral issues, such as the development of Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar and the North-South Corridor project.

He also hailed India’s role in the process of Iran’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.

Amirabdollahian also stated that Iran and India share views about the need for an end to the Israeli war and genocidal crimes in Gaza and preventing the spread of clashes.

For his part, India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said his country and Iran are two allies that have focused on political and economic cooperation.

Expressing India’s willingness to use Iran’s capacities to gain access to the northern countries, he said the two states have a common view about the development of Chabahar and have developed a good road map to the completion of joint projects.

Both Iran and India are concerned about the developments in West Asia and stress the need to prevent an escalation of violence and hostilities, Jaishankar added.

Emphasizing the necessity of countering threats to the shipping industry, he said a number of attacks have happened near India, adding, “This is worrying and has affected India’s energy and economic interests.”