21 August
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated his call for a maritime security mission in the Strait of Hormuz aimed at keeping a check on Iran.
At a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East on Tuesday, Pompeo said he welcomed entries by Britain and Bahrain into the US-proposed mission, adding he hopes for participation by other nations.
He also claimed Iran's actions in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen are having devastating humanitarian consequences, and that greater cooperation in the Middle East is needed more than ever.
Iran's UN ambassador, Majid Takht Ravanchi, pushed back on Pompeo's comments, saying the United States is the one that support terrorists in the region. He stressed that his country cannot accept the intervention of foreign militaries in its strategic waters, adding that an attempt to form a maritime coalition would fail.
Russia also criticized the US, saying its view on Iran is wrong. France urged dialogue between Washington and Tehran.
NHK
