Tehran: Iran will inspect ships in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for any action against its own shipping stemming from the latest United Nations nuclear sanctions.
"If only one Iranian ship gets inspected, we will take the necessary measures," Hussain Ebrahimi, a member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, was cited as saying on Friday by the state-run Mehr news agency. "We will inspect several of their ships in return for one ship they would inspect."
The UN Security Council on June 9 approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran in an effort to curb its nuclear development. The measures include the authority to seize cargo suspected of being used for Iranian nuclear or missile programmes, restrictions on financial transactions and a tighter arms embargo. Iran said on Thursday that it will consider downgrading ties with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency.
"The Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz will be our manoeuvring front," Ebrahimi said. "Anybody who wants to harm our interests, we will severely harm theirs in retaliation."
