While America is rallying its allies .. Iran: No place for foreign forces in the waters of the Gulf

Iran has renewed its rejection of the presence of foreign troops in the waters of the Gulf, while US pressure continues to make the success of an allied military group to "secure" navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Admiral Habibullah Sayari, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, said that ensuring the security of the Gulf waters is the responsibility of the surrounding countries in accordance with international decisions and laws.

He added - in a speech on the island of "Kish" Iran - that foreign forces have no place in the region.

Admiral Sayari said some countries were trying to control the waters of the Gulf by trying to portray them as an unsafe region and following a policy of economic terrorism.

The stability of the world economy was linked to the security of seas and waterways.

The commander of the Iranian navy's naval forces, Rear Admiral Hussein Khanzadi, said that the army will be equipped with a new destroyer, a missile launcher and another sweeping mine this year.

Germany and Britain
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is not considering joining a US-led naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz, a German government spokeswoman said.

She added that there was consensus in the German government on this decision, while German officials did not rule out the possibility of participating in European forces to achieve the same goal.

German Deputy Government Spokesman Ulrich Demer said the German government sees "the proposal of European countries to undertake a maritime protection mission (to the Gulf) worthy of study," highlighting that Germany is in contact with its European partners in this regard.

Britain said on Monday it would join a US-led naval security mission in the Gulf to protect commercial ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

"We look forward to working with the United States and others to find an international solution to the problems in the Strait of Hormuz," Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters. But Foreign Secretary Dominique Rapp said Britain would remain committed to working with Iran to maintain a nuclear deal in 2015.

The Pentagon welcomed Britain's participation in protecting the waterways of the Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. He stressed that maritime security is an international challenge and looks forward to working with Britain and other allies to ensure a free flow of trade.

For weeks, the United States has sought broad support for its military mission to protect merchant ships in the Gulf.

The US embassy in Berlin said Washington had asked Germany to join France and Britain on a mission to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and address what it called the Iranian aggression.