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Iran Cautions Israel Against Joining US Naval Mission, Warns 'Smoke Will Rise From Tel Aviv'

Israeli media earlier reported that the country's Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz had stated at a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Tel Aviv would provide intelligence and other assistance to a US naval coalition, allegedly seeking to safeguard the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Sputnik

Senior Advisor to the Iranian Parliament, Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian has cautioned Israel against taking part in a planned US maritime coalition on his Twitter, warning the Jewish state that it will suffer the consequences otherwise.

"If Israel enters the Strait of Hormuz, it will be engulfed in the wrath of the region and its smoke will rise from Tel Aviv", he said.

Amir Abdollahian further advised the US and its allies to abandon the idea of their military mission in the Persian Gulf, arguing that it will not bring peace and safety to the region as they claim.

"Iran has a vital role in the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Any US-led military coalition in the strait is a repetition of Iraq and Afghanistan occupation and escalation of insecurity in the region", Abdollahian wrote.

The senior advisor's statements come in the wake of warnings, sounded by Iran's Foreign Ministry on 9 August. The ministry' spokesman stated that the country would view any external military coalition's presence in the Gulf as a "clear threat" and act accordingly.

"Within the framework of the country's deterrence and defensive policy, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to counter this threat and defend its territory", Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said.

The US has announced plans to organise the maritime military coalition in order to ensure the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz - a crucial oil exporting lane, following the attacks on 6 tankers in the Gulf. The US groundlessly attributed the attacks to Iran, despite Tehran vehemently denying it.

Washington has called on number of states to join the coalition, but few have since agreed with Germany and Japan declining the offer.

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