Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, yesterday told the US that a war with his country would be “the mother of all wars”, as Tehran announced joint naval patrols with Russia. An Iranian navy commander said that the drills would take place later this year after the neighbouring countries signed an agreement, according to the Iranian Fars news agency. Although Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi gave no details about the area where the drills would be held, he said in late July that manoeuvres could take place in the Strait of Hormuz. He said on Monday that "the situation in the Persian Gulf is absolutely calm," despite the fact that "the
United States and the
United Kingdom by their lies and bluff are trying to make this region look as unsafe and make it so". Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized
British tanker Stena Impero near the Persian Gulf in July for alleged marine violations, two weeks after British forces captured an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar accused of violating
sanctions on Syria. British Royal Navy's HMS Montrose, a Type 23 Frigate, performing turns during exercise "Marstrike 05", off the coast of Oman Credit: AFP Tensions have risen between
Iran and the West since last year when
Washington pulled out of an international agreement which curbed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme in return for an easing of economic sanctions. "Peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, war with Iran is the mother of all wars," Mr Rouhani said at the foreign ministry yesterday/TUE. Mr Rouhani said he preferred the option of peace, saying talks were possible but only once all sanctions were lifted. But he also took on an uncharacteristic hardline rhetoric, challenging both the US and UK. “Wed downed your drone (US drone) with our own homegrown
missile," he said. "Your friend (Britain) seized our ship but we did not let it go and captured their ship”. Fuelling fears of a further escalation in tensions, he added: "A strait for a strait. It can't be that the Strait of Hormuz is free for you and the Strait of Gibraltar is not free for us," Mr Rouhani said. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has been sanctioned by the US Credit: AFP "Peace for peace and oil for oil," he said. "You cannot say that you won't allow our oil to be exported.” Mohammed Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, yesterday confirmed reports that he declined an offer from a US senator to meet Trump at the
White House last month despite the threat of sanctions. The US imposed its sanctions against Mr Zarif on Wednesday, targeting any assets he has in America and squeezing his ability to function as a diplomat and Iran’s chief negotiator. “I also said that while [Trump] may want [a] photo op, the US isn’t interested in talks; rather, Iran’s submission. That will never happen,” he said on Twitter. “An example of US tactics: Threatening to designate somebody in two weeks unless he accepts your invitation to chat in the Oval Office.”