In comments to a gathering of people in the southern province of Hormozgan on Thursday evening, President Raisi said Iran’s armed forces have protected the country by guarding the sea against US troops and other foreign forces who are present in the region as usurpers.
Highlighting the rich resources of the coastal province, the president said, “Hormozgan has sea, mining, industries and efficient and educated human resources who are ready to work.”
“There is good cohesion between all the ethnic groups in this region. This capital must be maintained and strengthened,” he said, according to the government’s official website.
Underlining the importance of the Makran coasts in southern Iran, the President said: “In the cabinet, we have proposed the maximum utilization of the capacities of these coasts and a mechanism has been approved for this so that we can use this capital fully at the national level and with the cooperation of the ministries.
Referring to the sale of agricultural products to neighboring states, President Raisi said, “We agree to create a common border market for the sale of agricultural products in the province to neighboring countries.”
Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed the ability of regional countries to provide security in the Persian Gulf and deplored the presence of foreign forces in the region.
In May 2020, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, said that the Persian Gulf belongs to the nations that live there and that it is they who are responsible for ensuring its security.
“The Persian Gulf belongs to the nations that live there. Its security is the duty of these nations, and Iran with its long coastline has a key role in maintaining the security of this region. By the grace of God, we will do our part. It is our historical, geographic and regional duty,” the leader said at the time.
Ayatollah Khamenei also said that a “wise and rational collective policy” in favor of the peoples of the region cannot be achieved as long as foreign forces are present in the Persian Gulf.
