TEHRAN – Iran’s navy chief on Wednesday called for an end to the presence of extra-regional forces, especially those of the United States, in the Persian Gulf, saying they have only created instability in the region.
“While the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman are a safe and stable region, in recent years we have witnessed increased insecurity in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and that’s why we do not understand the presence of coalition forces in the Persian Gulf. We believe that the main purpose of their presence is to undermine dialogue between the regional navies,” Rear Admiral Hussein Khanzadi said.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Chief of Staff of the French Navy Admiral Pierre Vandier on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) held in Réunion island, an overseas region of France located in the Indian Ocean.
Khanzadi said Iran is closely monitoring movements of foreign forces in the region.
“Today, a number of American and European vessels, as well as French ones, are present in the Persian Gulf region, but we monitor and keep a watchful eye on all their movements and vessels, even from a far distance.”
He said security of any maritime domain could only be provided by countries of that geography.
Iran protests the presence of EU vessels as well as the American ones near its shores, Khanzadi said. “We believe that such uncalled-for security combinations do not enhance collective security and should be suspended.”
For his part, the French commander praised Iran’s performance during its presidency of the IONS summit and called for increased communication and interaction between the Iranian and French navies towards reducing tensions in the region.
He said former U.S. president Donald Trump had called on Washington’s allies to send forces to the region to pile up pressure on Iran but the French government rejected it.

Vandier claimed that European countries had to be present in the Persian Gulf region “to ensure the security of the region”, but “we were not present in any of the US operations.”
The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) is a forum designed to increase maritime security cooperation, discuss regional maritime issues, and promote friendly relationships among the member states.
It has 24 member nations and eight states with observer status. The symposium was first held in 2008 with India as host.