Pezeshkian links sustainable Gulf security to regional responsibility

tehran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to regional and global security and economy, noting that a responsible approach based on preserving stability and the interests of regional countries, IRNA reported on Wednesday.
According to the Iranian news agency, Pezeshkian said that sustainable security in the Persian Gulf and its waterways depended on cooperation and responsibility among regional countries, in remarks on the occasion of World Maritime Day.
Further, the Iranian president “described the sea for Iran as more than an expanse of water, calling it a divine blessing and part of the country’s history, identity and life, as well as one of its most important resources for the present and future,” IRNA said.
He added, according to the news agency, that security and development could not be separated and that “maritime security, ports and transport routes provide the conditions for trade and economic activity, while economic development strengthens the country’s national capabilities.”
IRNA noted that, according to Pezeshkian, “Iran is seriously pursuing its responsibility to maintain security and stability in regional waterways and ensure the security of maritime shipping and trade, relying on the capabilities and experience of naval forces and all those involved in maritime affairs.”
Separately, Iran’s Deputy Chief of the Army for Coordination, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, noted that the sea was “a key pillar of national power, a driver of trade and the economy, and vital to energy security and the continuity of supply chains,” IRNA reported.
The Iranian news agency noted that, according to Sayyari, the United States-Israeli war imposed over the past year demonstrated the importance of Iran’s maritime capacity.

Iran says recognising its rights could pave way for ending conflict
The spokesperson of Iran’s Defence Ministry General Talaei-Nik said Tehran seeks peace while defending its rights, security, and interests.
According to Press TV, the spokesperson added that recognising Iran’s legitimate rights would pave the way for ending the ongoing conflict.

Vessel struck by ‘unknown projectile’ in Hormuz: UKMTO
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said earlier in the day that “a verified source has reported that a tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile.”
The incident was reported on Tuesday, with the UKMTO noting that authorities were investigating the report.
The centre also issued an advisory for vessels “to transit with caution” and to “report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received US feedback via Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday on a seven-day plan aimed at building trust between Washington and Tehran, with sequencing the main sticking point, an official, who was not Iranian but was briefed on the talks, told Reuters.
Araghchi is expected to discuss the US response in Tehran on Wednesday, the official said.
Iran last week presented a seven-day proposal under which Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored if the necessary conditions were met. US President Donald Trump subsequently rejected the proposal, prompting further Qatari mediation.
The Qatari mediators conveyed the feedback they had received from Washington on Monday, meeting Araghchi and his team on their way back from the United States, the official said.
The document being circulated outlines a seven-day period of trust-building aimed at returning the two sides to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding agreed in June, including concrete steps on Iran’s nuclear programme, the official said, without further elaboration.
The disagreement centres on the sequencing of the steps rather than the components of the plan, the official added.
Qatar has been shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran in an effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The June memorandum of understanding led to a brief ceasefire and included provisions on the strait and Iran’s nuclear programme.
On Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that Tehran received a proposal from the US as diplomatic efforts to “break the deadlock” over the US-Israeli war on Iran continue, according to government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani.