Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani dismissed the US allegation that Iran had been involved in a recent drone attack on a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean as “baseless”.
“The accusations leveled by the US are endless,” he said, hitting back at the US government as the main culprit for the war crimes against Gaza and the main party responsible for the Israeli strikes on Palestinians.
“The US is basically in no position to bring accusations against other sides. We reject those allegations,” Kanaani stated.
The spokesman further described Iran as a main country ensuring the security of international maritime routes, saying Tehran has always acted responsibly.
The Pentagon said the attack took place on Friday around 10 am local time (0600 GMT) and caused no casualties aboard the Japanese-owned vessel, adding that a fire was extinguished.
The pro-Iranian Houthi militias in Yemen launched several attacks on ships in the Red Sea that have links with Israel.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron identified “the threat of Iran” as one of five significant “crises” creating an “extraordinarily difficult time for the world”, along with the Russia-Ukraine war, the conflict in the Middle East, terrorism, and climate change.
"These repetitive accusations are rejected as baseless," said Kanaani.
He said the United Kingdom is not legally and morally in a position to level accusations against Iran and other regional states.
Cameron cited “more evidence” of the “unacceptable threat the Iranian regime poses to the lives of UK-based journalists”.
He said: “Iran is a thoroughly malign influence in the region and in the world – there’s no doubt about that.”
Asked whether there were other measures, in addition to sanctions, that could be deployed now, he said: “Not for public consumption.”
Iran must be sent “an incredibly clear message that this escalation will not be tolerated”.
