Unic Press UK: The Iranian military has issued a response to the United States’ position that countries should not allow Iranian oil vessels into their territorial waters or ports as doing so would not only be an affront to the U.S. and the ongoing sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, but would trigger a bout of penalties.
The Iranian response Monday was made by the Deputy Commander of Iranian Army, Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, who said:
“Iran’s armed forces … are prepared today as in the past to protect our fleet of oil tankers against any threats so that it can continue to use marine waterways,” the Press TV reported.
Mousavi statement appears to be a direct response to a series of actions and position of the U.S., such as, the statement last week by the special U.S. representative for Iran, Brian Hook, who said:
“From the Suez Canal to the Strait of Malacca and all choke points in between, Iranian tankers are now a floating liability. Countries, ports and canal operators and private firms should know they will be likely responsible for the costs of an accident involving a self-insured Iranian tanker.”
It was on May 8, 2018 that the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), which was inked in 2015 by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the European Union and the P5+1 countries – China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, insisting that the deal was bad for the world and America. The U.S. said then that a new deal must be agreed, otherwise punitive sanctions would be re-imposed on Iran. New U.S. sanctions against Iran has come into force
