Ensuring Safety of Persian Gulf Being Gulf Countries' Job - Iranian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The safety of the Gulf's water routes depends on Iran and the Arab countries in the region rather than on the United States, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday.

In June, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called on Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to put in place a collective mechanism for ensuring the interests and security of the Gulf countries.

"Ensuring the safety of the water routes across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is one of Iran's priorities. This issue must be addressed in joint cooperation between the countries bordering the Gulf," Kanaani was quoted by a Iranian newspaper as saying.

An American daily reported last Thursday, citing sources in the US Department of Defense, that the US was ready to deploy armed sailors and marines on commercial vessels crossing the Gulf to prevent potential attacks by the Iranian navy.

In early July, Pentagon said that US forces had prevented attempted seizure by the Iranian navy of two commercial oil tankers, the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moss and Richmond Voyager, following through the Strait of Hormuz three hours apart. Iranian forces opened fire at the Richmond Voyager, but had to change course after the US Navy sent USS McFaul destroyer and MQ-9 combat drone to the scene, Pentagon added.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed the US's reports about the Iranian Navy attempting to seize any oil tankers off the Omani shore.