Don’t Interfere in Gulf, Iran Warns U.S.

TEHRAN — The commander of the Iranian navy said Monday that Iranian naval units will take action against U.S. and French warships if they continue to obstruct Iran’s checking of Persian Gulf shipping for goods bound for its war foe, Iraq.

“Recently it has been observed that these warships create problems for our naval units as they carry out their mission to inspect ships carrying Iraq-bound goods,” Mohammed Hussein Malekzadegan told the newspaper Ettelaat.

“If U.S. warships continue to escort ships carrying cargo for the Iraqi regime and if we ascertain that the presence of these ships is a threat to our interests, then we will resolutely enter action,” he said.

Malekzadegan’s comments marked the first time Iran has said foreign warships were actively interfering in the Iranian navy’s checking of vessels for goods destined for Iraq, which it has the right to do under international law.

Malekzadegan said France has kept one warship and the United States two helicopter-equipped vessels close to Iran’s so-called security zone on the Iranian side of a line drawn roughly midway down the Persian Gulf.