An F/A-18F fighter jet launches off the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis during maneuvers in the Arabian Gulf in this US Navy handout photo dated 23 November 2011. (Photo: REUTERS - US Navy - Benjamin Crossley - Handout)
Iran renewed its warning to US navy forces in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, stressing that Tehran will do all that's necessary to protect the key oil-transit route, the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran will do anything to preserve the security of the Strait of Hormuz" at the entrance to the Gulf, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said, according to the website of Iran's state television.
Iran's defense minister called on foreign forces to leave the Gulf region, stressing that its presence adds to the instability of the region.
"The presence of forces from beyond the (Gulf) region has no result but turbulence. We have said the presence of forces from beyond the region in the Persian Gulf is not needed and is harmful," Vahidi was quoted as saying.
The comments echoed a warning issued Tuesday by Iran's military that it would unleash its "full force" if a US aircraft carrier is redeployed to the Gulf.
"We don't have the intention of repeating our warning, and we warn only once," Brigadier General Ataollah Salehi, Iran's armed forces chief, said as he told Washington to keep its aircraft carrier out of the Gulf.
The White House on Tuesday brushed off the warning, saying it "reflects the fact that Iran is in a position of weakness" as it struggles under international sanctions.
The US Defense Department said it would not alter its deployment of warships to the Gulf.
Currency spikes
Iran's rial rebounded 21 percent in two days following a sharp drop as a result of new US sanctions imposed on the country's central bank.
Tehran's central bank moved to stabilize the currency, boosting the rial up to 14,000 to the dollar, a significant recovery from the record low 17,800 it was trading at on Monday.
Iranian Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said Tuesday the central bank had been asked "to inject more foreign currency into the market, and the central bank has promised to do so," according to the official IRNA news agency.
He added that the government was considering "a number of measures to control the exchange market," without specifying any details.
Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the rial's volatility "definitely has nothing to with sanctions."
China criticizes, Turkey undermines US sanctions
China criticized unilateral US sanctions imposed on Iran, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
"China opposes placing one's domestic law above international law and imposing unilateral sanctions against other countries," said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei in response to a question about US sanctions on Iran.
Beijing has expanding economic interests in Iran, and is particularly reliant on Iranian oil supply.
Hong acknowledged that China has regular "open and transparent economic and energy interactions with Iran."
"These interactions do not violate UN Security Council resolutions and will not impair third party interests," he said. "Therefore these interactions should not be affected."
The comments come as six US congressman called for the investigation of giant Chinese telecommunication equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for allegedly supplying Iran with sensitive technology.
Huawei dismissed the US allegations as founded on baseless media reports.
"Unfortunately, a few Members of Congress continue to cite inaccurate media reports that include groundless allegations," Huawei, the world's number two telecommunications gear maker, said in an emailed statement.
China, along with Russia, is wary of US attempts to increase its influence in the oil-rich region, and has thwarted Western efforts to isolate Iran at UN level over Tehran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Turkey has sought an exemption for its biggest refiner, Tupras, from new US sanctions on institutions that deal with Iran's central bank, a Turkish energy ministry official said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is visiting Iran on Wednesday for nuclear talks amid rising tensions between the West and Tehran.
Turkey and Iran will also seek to clarify remarks by an Iranian general in December that Tehran will strike NATO targets in Turkey if it is attacked.
Those comments were subsequently retracted by the Iranian foreign ministry, but irked officials in Ankara.
Western nations and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran strongly denies.
Iran says its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes, and has slammed Western double standards regarding its silence over Israel's nuclear program.
Israel is the only Middle Eastern state known to possess a nuclear arsenal, but has received neither attention from Western powers nor the UN's nuclear watchdog, while continuing to pressure Iran to curtail its program.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP, Reuters)
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Uprooted Palestinian
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
"Iran will do anything to preserve the security of the Strait of Hormuz" at the entrance to the Gulf, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said, according to the website of Iran's state television.
Iran's defense minister called on foreign forces to leave the Gulf region, stressing that its presence adds to the instability of the region.
"The presence of forces from beyond the (Gulf) region has no result but turbulence. We have said the presence of forces from beyond the region in the Persian Gulf is not needed and is harmful," Vahidi was quoted as saying.
The comments echoed a warning issued Tuesday by Iran's military that it would unleash its "full force" if a US aircraft carrier is redeployed to the Gulf.
"We don't have the intention of repeating our warning, and we warn only once," Brigadier General Ataollah Salehi, Iran's armed forces chief, said as he told Washington to keep its aircraft carrier out of the Gulf.
The White House on Tuesday brushed off the warning, saying it "reflects the fact that Iran is in a position of weakness" as it struggles under international sanctions.
The US Defense Department said it would not alter its deployment of warships to the Gulf.
Currency spikes
Iran's rial rebounded 21 percent in two days following a sharp drop as a result of new US sanctions imposed on the country's central bank.
Tehran's central bank moved to stabilize the currency, boosting the rial up to 14,000 to the dollar, a significant recovery from the record low 17,800 it was trading at on Monday.
Iranian Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said Tuesday the central bank had been asked "to inject more foreign currency into the market, and the central bank has promised to do so," according to the official IRNA news agency.
He added that the government was considering "a number of measures to control the exchange market," without specifying any details.
Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the rial's volatility "definitely has nothing to with sanctions."
China criticizes, Turkey undermines US sanctions
China criticized unilateral US sanctions imposed on Iran, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
"China opposes placing one's domestic law above international law and imposing unilateral sanctions against other countries," said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei in response to a question about US sanctions on Iran.
Beijing has expanding economic interests in Iran, and is particularly reliant on Iranian oil supply.
Hong acknowledged that China has regular "open and transparent economic and energy interactions with Iran."
"These interactions do not violate UN Security Council resolutions and will not impair third party interests," he said. "Therefore these interactions should not be affected."
The comments come as six US congressman called for the investigation of giant Chinese telecommunication equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for allegedly supplying Iran with sensitive technology.
Huawei dismissed the US allegations as founded on baseless media reports.
"Unfortunately, a few Members of Congress continue to cite inaccurate media reports that include groundless allegations," Huawei, the world's number two telecommunications gear maker, said in an emailed statement.
China, along with Russia, is wary of US attempts to increase its influence in the oil-rich region, and has thwarted Western efforts to isolate Iran at UN level over Tehran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Turkey has sought an exemption for its biggest refiner, Tupras, from new US sanctions on institutions that deal with Iran's central bank, a Turkish energy ministry official said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is visiting Iran on Wednesday for nuclear talks amid rising tensions between the West and Tehran.
Turkey and Iran will also seek to clarify remarks by an Iranian general in December that Tehran will strike NATO targets in Turkey if it is attacked.
Those comments were subsequently retracted by the Iranian foreign ministry, but irked officials in Ankara.
Western nations and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran strongly denies.
Iran says its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes, and has slammed Western double standards regarding its silence over Israel's nuclear program.
Israel is the only Middle Eastern state known to possess a nuclear arsenal, but has received neither attention from Western powers nor the UN's nuclear watchdog, while continuing to pressure Iran to curtail its program.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP, Reuters)
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| Local Editor | |
 The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the US government does not seek a “confrontation” with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, one day after Iran warned US aircraft carrier from returning to Gulf waters.“No one in this government seeks confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz,” said Pentagon spokesman George Little. “It is important to lower the temperature,” the spokesman added. However, he said that the aircraft carrier's "regularly scheduled movements" would continue in the region, but stopped short of declaring any specific measure in response to the warning by the Iranian commander. "The deployment of US military assets in the Persian Gulf region will continue as it has for decades," Little said. "We are committed to protecting maritime freedoms that are the basis for global prosperity; this is one of the main reasons our military forces operate in the region," Little said, without referring directly to Iran.  The Pentagon statement came hours after Tehran's military warned the USS John C. Stennis not to return to the Gulf, in an escalating showdown over Tehran's nuclear drive and two days after Iran wrapped up its 10-day naval drills.Maneuvers displayed Iran’s might, military progress Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi stressed the warning against the US navy presence saying “Iran will do anything to preserve the security of the Strait of Hormuz”. “The presence of forces from beyond the (Gulf) region has no result but turbulence. We have said the presence of forces from beyond the region in the Persian Gulf is not needed and is harmful,” he was quoted as saying. Velayat 90 maneuvers have displayed the capability of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic indicating that various types of military hardware manufactured by the Defense Ministry were tested during the exercises. He said that the armed forces tested advanced electronic and optical communications systems successfully, as well as domestically-manufactured surface-to-surface, coast-to-sea, and sea-to-coast missiles. Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said the world bullying powers were bewildered by Iran’s defense progress. He was quoted by IRNA as saying that the West was after imposing a culture on the world according to which only the hegemonic powers get a full mark while the majority of the world countries fall below the line. “Now they are astonished to see that Iran is getting scores much higher than what they expect it so they are unable to understand the degree and depth of Iran’s scientific and technological achievements,” Firouzabadi added. |
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Uprooted Palestinian The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
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