Iraq To Refrain From Joining US-Led Coalition In Persian Gulf - Foreign Ministry

Iraq will not join the coalition for the protection of maritime routes in the Persian Gulf amid the escalation in the region and stands against the participation of Israel in it, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Sahaf said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th September, 2019) Iraq will not join the coalition for the protection of maritime routes in the Persian Gulf amid the escalation in the region and stands against the participation of Israel in it, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Sahaf said on Thursday.

"Iraq will not join any forces to protect the maritime routes of the Gulf," Sahaf said, as quoted by the INA news agency, stressing that the responsibility for the protection of the Persian Gulf rests with the countries which have access to it.

"Iraq also opposed the participation of Israel in it," the spokesperson added.

Tensions have escalated in the Persian Gulf over the past several months due to the standoff between Iran and the United States.

A series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman and Hormuz Strait has worsened the situation, with Washington and its allies placing the blame on Iran. Tehran has refuted all accusations.

In August, the United States called upon Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, South Korea and the United Kingdom, among others, to join a coalition that would ensure safe maritime passage through the strategic pathways of the Gulf by means of aerial surveillance and actual patrol ships. The United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates have already supported the plea. London has sent its Navy vessels Kent and Defender to join the Montrose and Duncan destroyers in the Hormuz Strait.