Iran says ‘foreign presence’ from tens of thousands of miles away destabilizes Middle East

Iran and its neighbors need to resolve their differences peacefully and it’s not up to faraway nations to meddle in the issue, a senior Iranian diplomat said amid an unfolding crisis over oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We and the neighbors have lived in this region and we will remain in this area. If we are to maintain the security of this area, we have to do that,” said Abbas Mousavi, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Speaking to Iran’s IRNA news agency, the diplomat warned regional players against trusting “foreign presence from tens of thousands of miles away”

Iran is currently the focus of a security crisis as the US and its allies are mounting pressure on the Islamic Republic. In one of the latest developments, the UK arrested a supertanker carrying Iranian crude through the Strait of Gibraltar, alleging that the shipment was going to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

Mousavi said Tehran sees the move as an attack on its oil exports under the pretext of Syrian sanctions, which is in line with Washington’s goal of stifling the Iranian oil industry.

“Our question to the British is whether the Islamic Republic of Iran is under the sanction of the European Union? Is Europe imposing a sanction on oil?” the official said, calling on the UK to release the ship “as soon as possible” because it would be “in everyone’s interest.”

Tehran stands accused by the UK of attempting to seize a British tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. London says the attempt failed due to a military escort defending the ship. Iran insists it didn’t try to stop the tanker and accused the UK of trying to escalate tensions.