US, allies to hold military exercise in Persian Gulf
The United States and over 30 of its allies, including Britain and most of the Arab kingdoms, are planning to hold a military exercise in the Persian Gulf, Press TV reports.
Washington claims the drill, which is reportedly scheduled to be held on May 6-30, is aimed at practicing minesweeping and the protection of commercial vessels, while political analysts in Russia describe the move as a provocation to Iran ahead of its upcoming presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on June 14.
The participants in the so-called International Mine Countermeasures Exercise will gather in Bahrain.
“They [the US officials] know that Iran will not carry out aggression acts but they want to turn the Arab countries against Iran and isolate it on a mass scale,” said Geydar Jemal, the head of the Islamic Committee of Russia.
Russian experts have also voiced concern over the silence within the international community about the plans of the military drill in the Persian Gulf waters.
“The exercise is a provocation on a global scale. This is not only to pressure Iran, these exercises are also meant to pile pressure on Syria,” said Stanisalav Ivanov from Russia’s Center for International Security.
“The US exercises come on top of arming the region, constant presence in the Middle East and fueling new conflicts in the region. Any mass US-led operation risks a new conflict,” Ivanov added.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has already said that all movements in the Persian Gulf are controlled and monitored, and that Tehran will not allow any intrusion into its territory.
