London: Iran on Thursday strongly condemned US “military aggression” against Iranian ports, coastal areas and maritime infrastructure over the past two nights, saying the strikes had endangered maritime safety and security.
Speaking at the 137th session of the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London, an Iranian representative said the targets of the US strikes included the maritime traffic control tower at Chabahar Port, civilian fishing vessels and equipment specifically dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of navigation.
“These attacks constitute a manifestly unlawful use of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and have directly endangered civilian lives, seafarers, commercial shipping and the marine environment,” he said.
The representative criticised the United States for invoking freedom of navigation while attacking maritime traffic control facilities and safety equipment established to protect vessels and seafarers, Xinhua news agency reported.
“A state cannot credibly claim to defend maritime security while destroying the very infrastructure upon which safe navigation depends,” he said.
He stressed that the deterioration of maritime safety and security was not the cause of the current crisis, but “one among the many direct consequences” of what he called the war of aggression waged by the United States and Israel against Iran.
US Central Command said earlier that its forces had completed an additional round of strikes to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the second consecutive day of such action.
US forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline, the command said.
Iran’s IRGC and army said they struck US military bases and facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
(IANS)
