Iran assures safe passage for B'desh-flagged ships through Strait of Hormuz

Iran has assured Bangladesh of cooperation in ensuring the safe passage of Bangladesh-flagged commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, provided there is prior coordination, Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Jalil Rahimi said on Wednesday.

He gave the assurance at a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Dhaka.

Rahimi said Iran was not involved in the attacks taking place in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that Iran could not directly guarantee the security of energy shipments belonging to Bangladesh or any other country.

However, as a gesture of friendship, Iran would extend all possible cooperation to Bangladesh-flagged commercial vessels seeking safe passage through the strait, subject to advance coordination, he said.

Referring to the economic pressure and rising prices caused by tensions in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, the ambassador blamed the United States for the situation.

He thanked the people of Bangladesh for their support on various global issues and expressed satisfaction with public opinion in Bangladesh regarding Iran.

Rahimi also described the Bangladesh government's position on the Iran issue as reasonable, despite various constraints.

On the possibility of an agreement with the United States and Israel, he said Iran would consider such an arrangement a surrender and would never accept it.

He said Iran was fully prepared to respond with its full strength if the United States or Israel launched an attack, but stressed that Tehran did not want war or conflict.

The ambassador said Iran had no dispute with Arab countries and would not attack any of them unless its territory was targeted from US military bases located in those countries.

Describing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina as Iran's “red lines”, he proposed a “Mecca Pact” to ensure regional security without Western intervention.

Rahimi also discussed the historical background of the conflict between Yemen's Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia, saying the dispute predated Iran's Islamic Revolution.

He said Iran extended strong political and spiritual support to Yemen's Houthis, Palestine's Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi because of their opposition to the United States and Israel.

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