The chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Azizi, made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Kim Seok-ki, who heads the South Korean Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.
“South Korea’s refusal to participate in any military operations in the Strait of Hormuz despite widespread pressure is a wise move aimed at maintaining regional stability,” he said.
“South Korea’s abstention from Security Council resolutions on the reinstatement of [anti-Iran] sanctions and the extension of Resolution 2231 last September also demonstrates the country’s commitment to rights and multilateralism.”
Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz to enemies and their allies following the launch on February 28 of the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.
It began exercising far stricter controls last month after US President Donald Trump announced an illegal blockade of Iranian vessels and ports in violation of the terms of a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that took effect on April 8 and was unilaterally extended by Washington.
On Monday, the United States launched the so-called “Project Freedom” supposedly aimed at forcibly reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Trump claimed that Iran had “taken some shots” at a South Korean vessel and urged Seoul to participate in the US military campaign.
On Wednesday, however, Trump was forced to stop the so-called “Project Freedom” at the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s steadfast resilience against American piracy and threats to maritime security.
Iran’s embassy in Seoul firmly rejected claims of Iranian forces’ involvement in an explosion that targeted the South Korean-linked cargo ship, according to Press TV.
Azizi said Trump, who suffered a “humiliating defeat” in his military operation in the critical waterway, resorted to lies and deception.
He also stressed that the Islamic Republic has always sought safe and free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The root cause of insecurity and instability in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz lies in the US military presence and the Zionist regime’s acts of adventurism, not Iran’s sovereign actions, he added.
Meanwhile, the Iranian lawmaker said that Iran-South Korea relations have always been based on mutual respect and common interests, and that both countries’ lawmakers have over the past years played an unparalleled role in deepening the bilateral ties.
MNA
