Russia calls for freedom of navigation in the Gulf

Dmitry Peskov, a Press Secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said, Thursday, that the Kremlin has urged all parties in the Gulf region to remain calm and resolve the situation through dialogue. Peskov also said that the priority should be to ensure freedom of navigation in the Gulf, which constitutes an important measure in favour of the global economy.

Commenting on the escalating situation in the Gulf region, Peskov told reporters:

We are carefully monitoring the flow of information about what is going on in the Gulf region. We have recorded the data suggesting that this incident took place, as we also took into consideration the statements made by the Iranian representatives saying that such information is incorrect.

Read: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards deny trying to stop British tanker in Gulf-Fars news

He added: “Anyway, we are concerned that free navigation in the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz must be guaranteed unconditionally, which is critical to the international economy and the global economic situation in general.”

Peskov continued: “As usual, we call on the involved parties to maintain their calm so that the situation does not worsen and in order to settle all differences through dialogue.”

The British government has indicated that three Iranian boats approached and tried to take over the British Heritage tanker; however, it failed to do so, reported Associated Press.

The British government expressed its concern over the Iranian authorities’ actions and urged them to contain the situation.

Later, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement in denying the British government’s claims. The Public Relations Department of the IRGC Navy’s Fifth Naval Zone denied “allegations made by sources from the US Department of Defence on the IRGC’s attempt to seize a British tanker in the Gulf region,” according to Fars News Agency.