Iran said Monday it was glad that the United States “got the message” and modified its behavior in the Persian Gulf, The Associated Press reported.
The comments came a day after the top US Navy official in the Middle East, Vice Adm. Sam Paparo, said that America has reached an “uneasy deterrence” with Iran after months of regional attacks and seizures at sea.
“We are happy that the other party has got the message and made its behavior more respectful,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on Monday, according to AP.
He said the US military is the “main source of tension” in the region and that Iranian forces have always acted professionally.
“Unfortunately, the US has often had an unprofessional approach toward Iran’s navy,” added the spokesman.
In the last few years there have been several close encounters between Iranian and American vessels in the Persian Gulf. The Revolutionary Guard typically patrols the shallower waters of the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Republic has threatened more than once to close the Strait of Hormuz, with the United States warning Iran in response that any attempt to close the strait would be viewed as a "red line" -- grounds for US military action.