MNA � Commander of Army Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard recommended policymakers of West Asian countries not to join the US-led coalition in the Persian Gulf.







�The security of the Persian Gulf and West Asia can only be ensured by the cooperation of regional states and any foreign presence or formation of coalitions, including the presence of Zionist regime, will further increase regional tensions. We recommend policymakers of West Asia to reconsider their security policies and avoid joining the coalition of Muslim World�s enemies because this is for everyone�s benefit,� he said before the start of Friday prayers sermon in Tehran.

�Everyone knows that Iran is not seeking war but if they make any mistake, they will receive a hard slap from the Islamic Republic. And they will not be the ones to end the war,� he highlighted elsewhere.

US is leading a mission in the Persian Gulf, known as the international maritime security construct (IMSC). It has asked its allies to join the initiative. The United Kingdom, Bahrain and Australia are presently the only other countries to join the US in the Strait of Hormuz, but the UK has appealed to European allies to join the mission to safeguard shipping lanes.

Key Washington allies Germany and Japan have refused to join, and France has expressed reservations about the US� provocative initiative.

On August 6, Israeli regime�s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that they will be part of the US-led anti-Iran coalition. Iran reacted to the announcement, warning that Washington and Tel Aviv would be responsible for the consequences of such a decision.