Only Regional States Can Guarantee Hormuz Strait’s Security

An Iranian Navy commander said the security of the strategic Strait of Hormuz can only be guaranteed through the cooperation of all regional countries.
Admiral Jafar Tazakkor, commander of the Iranian Navy’s First District, made the statement on Monday in a meeting with Commodore Khan Mahmood Asif, the commander of a Pakistani Navy flotilla, which recently docked at the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, ISNA reported.
“Holding joint meetings to exchange maritime information and knowledge sends the message that security and peace in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the North Indian Ocean can only be ensured with the help of regional countries,” Tazakkor said.
“The purpose of such interactions between the two navies is to strengthen military relations and come up with a method accepted by both sides for the design and implementation of combined naval exercises,” he added.
Tazakkor noted that this maritime synergy at various levels demonstrates the determination of navies in establishing the security of transportation and maritime trade in the areas under their control.
Asif described bolstering naval ties and conducting joint exercises as the two main goals of the fleet in Bandar Abbas, and said it was of paramount importance for Iran and Pakistan to establish security in the Persian Gulf, which is the most important international waterway in the world.
The Pakistani fleet, comprising two naval vessels, docked in Bandar Abbas on Saturday for a three-day stay with the purpose of strengthening relations between Tehran and Islamabad.
Iran and Pakistan in February urged the promotion of cooperation on maritime security and interaction between their naval forces, particularly by holding joint maneuvers.