Iran security chief: US’ increased military activities in region out of fear, worsen insecurity

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says increased military activities by the US Army in the West Asia region stems from Washington’s fear of the consequences of its past acts of mischief in this region.

“Increased activities by the US Army in the [West Asia] region is just a defensive show and stems from fear due to past acts of mischief [by the US in this region],” Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said in a Monday tweet.

افزایش تحرک #ارتش_آمریکا در منطقه، نمایشی پدافندی و ناشی از ترس، به دلیل شرارت‌های گذشته است. این‌اقدامات، آنتروپی ناامنی را بالا برده و موجب سوء تفاهم‌های زیان‌بار می‌شود. امنیت در منطقه تنها با خروج عوامل‌خارجی ضد ثبات محقق می‌شود.— علی شمخانی (@alishamkhani_ir) December 28, 2020

Shamkhani’s statements came after the US Navy announced last Monday the arrival of a nuclear-powered submarine in the Persian Gulf amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington on the eve of the first anniversary of the assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror general on direct orders of outgoing US President Donald Trump.

In its statement, the US Navy officials said the USS Georgia entered the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by two American warships, making it the first missile-loaded submarine of its kind to travel to the Persian Gulf in eight years.

The US Navy also announced in September that one of its aircraft carriers had sailed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered into the waters of the Persian Gulf in a bid to enforce Washington’s threats about illegal extension of an expiring arms embargo on Iran.

The US 5th Fleet said in a statement that the strike group led by the USS Nimitz and including two guided-missile cruisers and a guided-missile destroyer sailed into the Persian Gulf to operate and train with US partners.

The Nimitz strike group includes the USS Princeton and USS Philippine Sea, both guided-missile cruisers, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett.

“Such measures only intensify entropy of insecurity and lead to harmful misunderstandings,” Iran’s security chief further said in his Monday tweet.

Shamkhani then emphasized, “Security of the region can be only realized through withdrawal of anti-stability foreign forces.”