Iran Pledges to Do Utmost to Ensure Security in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran will do everything to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf, especially the Strait of Hormuz, following several incidents that resulted in increased global tensions, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during their recent meeting, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

Araghchi said that Tehran would never permit the sabotage of international shipping in its waters, of which the Strait of Hormuz is a part.

The two diplomats met on Tuesday in Paris for consultations at the request of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after his phone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Araghchi's visit comes amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which escalated on Friday when the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the UK oil tanker Stena Impero over what it described as a breach of international maritime regulations. France along with the United Kingdom, Germany, and some other countries has condemned the tanker's seizure.

Owner of #StenaImpero tanker says still awaiting #Iran’s permission to visit ship's crew https://t.co/1w4bgFizRm

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) July 24, 2019

​The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea passage for the world's largest oil producers from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, making it the most important oil chokepoint due to the large volumes of oil travelling through the strait. According to the US Energy Information Administration, over 20 percent of the world's oil consumption travelled through the strait in 2018.