Egyptian General:

Anti-Iran Coalition in Hormuz Strait to Fail

A retired Egyptian General said that the concept of forming an anti-Iran military coalition in the Strait of Hormuz will not fruit results for Washington.

News ID: 446478

Date: 10 August 2019 - 11:53

RNA - “The US plan for forming an anti-Iran military coalition in the Strait of Hormuz has not been successful so far,” retired Major General Samir Farag, an Egyptian strategist, wrote for almasryalyoum.com.

He highlighted the importance of the water corridor as the gate where one-third of the world’s energy supply passes through.

The strategist underlined that Washington’s main objective behind forming the coalition is to stoke hostility between Iran and the countries membered to the coalition in case of an attack on an oil tanker, but it seems that the idea has not won everyone's approval so far.

He then referred to Germany’s objection to the plan, and Japan’s conditional support for just securing its own vessels in Bab Al-Mendeb - and not the Persian Gulf - to show the rift among countries invited to join the coalition.

The United States has been trying to persuade its allies into an international coalition with the declared aim of providing “security” for merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — which accommodates around a third of global seaborne oil traffic —and other strategic Middle Eastern shipping lanes.

Washington’s call has, however, been met with little interest from Washington’s allies, which are concerned that joining such an alliance could drag them into a conflict with Iran.

The French are noncommittal, while Germany, Italy and Sweden have rejected joining the alliance.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday said Berlin favored a European mission but warned it was rather difficult to make progress on the initiative.

“At the moment the Britons would rather join an American mission. We won’t do that,” said Maas.

Last Wednesday, Berlin rejected Washington’s proposal.

"The US recently presented its concept of a naval observation mission in the Persian Gulf to a number of its allies, including Germany, and asked them to participate. The government took note of the proposal, but made no promises. Foreign Minister Maas has repeatedly stressed that, in our opinion, priority must be given to reducing tensions, and to diplomatic efforts. We are in close consultation with France and the UK. Participation in the US strategy of 'maximum pressure' is ruled out for us," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, in separate phone talks with his Qatari, Omani and Kuwaiti counterparts, warned that the military coalition that the US is attempting to form in the Persian Gulf will undermine regional security.

According to Fars News Agancy, General Hatami also highlighted Iran’s continued efforts to maintain peace and security all over the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz.

He stressed that the region’s security should be provided by the regional states, calling for a constructive dialogue among the neighboring countries to boost their cooperation regarding the matter.

Noting that the trans-regional powers have been busy for decades with creating rifts among the neighboring countries, General Hatami reiterated that the US so-called coalition, just like its other measures, would bear no result but increasing the tensions in the region.

Last Sunday, former IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezayee said that despite the malicious efforts of the US and UK to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz with escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf region, Tehran will not allow such a thing to happen.

“Americans and the British have been fanning the flames of war in the Persian Gulf region to pretend they have control over the Strait of Hormuz and the movement of vessels. Of course, we do not allow this to happen. In the meantime, we expect cooperation from our friends in China,” Rezayee said in a meeting with a senior Chinese delegation headed by Song Tao, the Head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in Tehran.

He added that Iran is not seeking war but will defend itself, while the Americans want conflict and seek to increase the tensions.

“Persian Gulf security is our security and we have to respond to their attacks and destabilizing actions in order to maintain security,” the Secretary of the Iranian Expediency Council (EC) said, adding, “We want free shipping and security in the Persian Gulf.”

“We live in the energy region of the world. Any kind of insecurity and conflict in this region would carry harm to global peace and security,” Rezayee said pointing to the new developments in the region.

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