President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, declared that while “peace with Iran is the mother of all peace,” “War with Iran is the mother of all wars.”
In a speech at the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran this morning, the Iranian President reiterated a previous warning, according to which ‘shipping in the Strait of Hormuz might not be safe for international passage.’ Rouhani said: “Peace with Iran is the mother of peace. War with Iran is the mother of all wars. I repeat again now (what I have said before).” / “If you want safety for your soldiers in the region, security would be for security. You cannot blemish our security and then expect security for you. Peace for peace. Oil for oil.”
In light of growing tensions with the United Kingdom over Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz last month, and the commandeering of yet another, Iraqi-owned vessel, at the beginning of this week; President Rouhani insisted that London ignored repeated warnings over British vessels that breach maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz. Regardless of these warnings, which the President referred to as facts, he also took the opportunity to decree: “security for security. A strait for a strait.” In his words: “In the Persian Gulf, UK ships ignored our warnings several times before. They used to breach regulations. Well, sometimes we neglect breaches at times of peace and friendship, but why should we neglect your breach today? You observed, we did not. Your warship was there. Why didn’t they do anything about it? You keep saying you want to deploy warships to the Persian Gulf. When the IRGC forces (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) were descending on your ship’s deck, the UK warship was observing from afar. Why didn’t it approach? So, do not make wrong claims. Security for security. A strait for a strait.”
President Rouhani made this latest threat alongside Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who just one day earlier declared that “Iran will no longer turn a blind eye” to what it as “maritime offenses,” in general, and what he termed as “England’s unlawful participation in piracy.”