Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet and Combined Naval Forces, said the naval alliance Iran announced it intends to form with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states is illogical and absurd.
Hawkins added that Iran is primarily responsible for regional instability and wants to form a maritime security alliance to protect the waters that threaten it, according to the American military news site.
The US military official's remarks came in response to Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Shahram Irani, who said his country would form new alliances that include Iran's navies and several countries.
The Iranian official pointed out that his country will cooperate with Saudi Arabia, India, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Pakistan, within the framework of this alliance.
Although the Iranian official did not specify details, he said that countries in the region have realized that only cooperation with each other brings security to the region.
On May 22, Tehran appointed Alireza Enayati as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, after the two countries decided to resume diplomatic relations.
On March 10, Riyadh and Tehran announced the resumption of diplomatic relations and the reopening of embassies within two months, following Chinese-sponsored talks in Beijing.
In recent years, Washington and Tehran have traded accusations over a series of incidents in Gulf waters, including mysterious attacks on ships, the downing of a drone and the seizure of oil tankers.
Relations between Iran and the United States have been strained since Washington unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran.