By Ahmet Dursun

TEHRAN

All foreign vessels entering the Persian Gulf will have to take the seaways defined by Iran, a naval commander said, citing a new maritime regulation introduced by the country’s Supreme National Security Council.

Quoting Iranian Navy’s Admiral Ali Fadavi, Tasnim News Agency said the new regulations required all the foreign vessels, including the U.S. and the U.K. ships, to take the seaways defined by Iran.

“American ships obey the Iranian rules when it comes to exercising sovereignty in the Persian Gulf,” Fadavi noted, and said: “The foreign vessels should not dare to violate Iran’s instruction on the waterways.”

Fadavi said, Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization has a right to announce the decision on new maritime routs, in accordance with international maritime law.

The navy officer also expressed the readiness of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to detect and record the environmental violations in the Persian Gulf through aerial and naval patrolling when Tehran authorizes it.

Tehran has reiterated its stance that the security of the Persian Gulf should be provided by the countries in the region and not the foreigners, slamming the U.S. security claims in the region.