AJ
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian released a message on National Persian Gulf Day, emphasising that ‘any attempts to impose blockade and maritime restrictions against Iran is doomed to fail for all.”
Pezeshkian stated that the Persian Gulf was not a place for imposing unlateral foreign wills and the security of this strategic area can only be ensured through the cooperation among the littoral countries.
“National Persian Gulf Day is a reminder of the deep and unbreakable bond between the name, history, and Iranian identity with this strategic waterway – a region that since ancient times has been a centre of a civilizational and cultural interactions, and a vital artery for trade and energy on a regional and global scale,” he said.
Pezeshkian stated that Iran was commemorating the Persian Gulf National Day under circumstances where the importance of the region during the recent war, especially the Strait of Hormuz, was once again revealed to the world, and the bravery of the country’s naval forces demonstrated that this vital passage, beyond its strategic role in energy transfer, is a symbol of national sovereignty and an undeniable expression of Iran’s role in ensuring regional and global security.
“Today, our enemies, by changing their approach and shifting the pressure field to economic and maritime arenas, have put the strategy of ‘maritime blockade’ and creating restrictions on maritime trade routes as a new tool of pressure on the Iranian people and their agenda, but our enemies must not know that the Persian Gulf is not a place for imposing unilateral foreign wills, but part of a system of the international interaction system, and its security is only meaningful through collective cooperation and mutual respect for the sovereignty of its coastal countries.”
Pezeshkian said that as a result, any attempt to impose a blockade and maritime restrictions was also contrary to international laws and a threat to the interests of the peoples of the region, global peace, stability, and is doomed to failure.
“As we have repeatedly stated, the presence and interventions of foreigners not only do not help improve regional security, but are a source of tension and disrupt lasting peace in the Persian Gulf,’ the President said, adding that during the war, Iran also saw the presence of US military bases was clearly letting down the host countries, while endangering their peace and security, allowing Iran to target hte origin of the attack on their soil as legitimate targets and not responding to the attacks.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the guardian of security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, continues to adhere to the principles of freedom of navigation and maritime safety except for hostile countries, but believes that the implementation of these principles must be accompanied by respect for the nation and sovereignty of Iran, and the responsibility for any insecurity in this water area lies with the United States and the ‘Israeli’ regime.”
President Pezeshkian concluded saying that Persian Gulf Day was a valuable opportunity to revisit this historical fact that the waterway is an inseparable part of the national identity of Iranians and a symbol of the great nation’s resistance against old and new colonizers.
“By honouring all the immortal souls whose red blood mingled with the blood of the eternal Persian Gulf in defence of this land, we hope that the Persian Gulf will always be safe, stable, and prosperous, providing a peaceful environment to people free from foreign presence.”
