Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran will use all its capacity to maintain oil market stability, the Tehran Times daily reported Wednesday. Ramin Mehmanparast rejected the Western claims about Tehran's attempts to disrupt the global energy markets, said the daily. Such claims are "unfounded and baseless," Mehmanparast said, adding that the Western countries are the ones trying to disturb the balance of the global energy market. Last week, Mehmanparast said the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained so that all countries, including those in the region, could preserve their own interests. "It appears that countries which try to interfere in regional issues or pursue measures that make energy supply insecure and disturb the energy market are the real threats to the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz," Mehmanparast said. Meanwhile, Deputy Navy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said Iran would not close the strategic Hormuz Strait as long as it uses the waterway, the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday. It was against common sense to close the strait while the Islamic republic is using the waterway, Tangsiri was quoted as saying. Some Iranian government and military officials have already threatened to use all means, particularly closing the Strait of Hormuz, if the increasing Western sanctions over Tehran's controversial nuclear activities halt Iran's export and hurt the interests of the Islamic republic. Xinhua
