Iran Warns of Consequences of Forming US-Supported Force in the Red Sea

Iranian state media reported today that Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned that the proposal to form a multinational force supported by the United States to protect navigation in the Red Sea would face "exceptional problems." Ashtiani's remarks came after the United States announced last week that it was in talks with other countries to establish such a force following a series of attacks carried out by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on ships in the Red Sea. Ashtiani told the official Iranian Student News Agency: "If they take such an irrational step, they will face exceptional problems," adding: "No one can operate in an area we dominate," referring to the Red Sea. Ashtiani did not specify any measures that Iran is prepared to take in response to the formation of a US-supported force in the Red Sea.