Iran has warned of a “decisive and immediate response” to any deployment of European military vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the Islamic Republic alone holds responsibility for maintaining security in the strategic maritime corridor.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in a post on his X account on Sunday, after France and the United Kingdom announced plans to deploy naval assets to the region, News.Az reports, citing Iran’s English-language Press TV.

“Whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in such matters,” he said.

Gharibabadi said France has announced plans to send its flagship aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while the UK has indicated it will deploy a warship to the area in an effort to maintain freedom of navigation.

“Any deployment and stationing of extra-regional destroyers around the Strait of Hormuz, under the pretext of protecting shipping, is nothing but an escalation of the crisis, the militarisation of a vital waterway, and an attempt to obscure the true root of insecurity in the region,” he warned.

He also stressed that maritime security cannot be ensured through military posturing, particularly by countries that, as he put it, through “supporting, participating in, or remaining silent in the face of aggression and blockade, are themselves part of the problem”.

The Iranian diplomat further said the root of regional insecurity lies in what he described as the illegal use of force, repeated threats against coastal states, and disregard for international law as set out in the United Nations Charter.

“The Strait of Hormuz is not the common property of extra-regional powers; it is a sensitive waterway adjacent to coastal states,” Gharibabadi said.

“The exercise of Iran’s sovereignty over this strait and the establishment of its legal framework fall within Iran’s rights as a coastal state,” he added.

News.Az