TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Iran on Saturday lashed out at the U.S. for launching a military mission in the Persian Gulf, saying it will only exacerbate insecurity and instability.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain announced Thursday it had officially launched operations to purportedly protect shipping lanes near Iranian territorial waters.
"History shows that American coalitions have always been nothing but misnomers, which have not only failed to create security but also caused more insecurity and instability in different parts of the world," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Saturday.
The mission was launched five months after Washington announced that it was seeking to form a "multinational maritime effort" in response to a series of mysterious explosions targeting vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman earlier this year.
Washington announced a deployment of 1,000 additional troops in the region following the attacks.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia were quick to blame Iran for the incidents without providing any evidence.
Iran has roundly rejected the accusations, emphasizing its commitment to regional maritime security and its importance in safeguarding international trade.
Widely seen as an anti-Iran coalition, many of Washington's key allies, such as Germany, France and Japan have rejected taking part in the operation.
Only Australia, Britain and Albania have pledged to deploy forces along with participating regional countries Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Mousavi said on Saturday the U.S. needs to misuse the names of other countries to legitimize its unilateral measures.
"The U.S. move to conceal its objectives and ambitions behind the names of a few other countries shows its weakness and lack of international legitimacy,” he said.
The spokesman called on the regional countries to rely on their own capacities and those of neighbors to ensure sustainable and inclusive security in the region.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran as the country with longest coastline in the Persian Gulf will vigorously keep protecting its economic and security interests, including security and safety of shipping in this body of water,” Mousavi said.