Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said that his country’s presence in the Red Sea at a time of heightened tensions will guarantee increasing security and stability in the globally important waterway.

According to The Iran Project,Brig. Gen. Ashtiani told reporters on Wednesday that Iran does not have “any limits” to extend its naval presence in this sensitive region and “fully monitors the developments”.

His remarks came days after Iran’s Alborz warship entered the Red Sea through the strategic Bab Al-Mandeb Strait.

The United States in early December set up a multinational naval task force for the Red Sea following a flurry of missile and drone attacks by the Yemeni Armed Forces on merchant vessels in the Red Sea in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, disrupting maritime traffic. The Yemenis have pledged to continue targeting ships sailing close to the war-torn country as long as the Zionist regime continues its aggression against the besieged enclave.

Regarding Tehran's support for the Yemeni Army, the defense minister stated that Yemen is supported by Iran, but they act independently and make their own decisions. 

“Yemen is a pioneering country which is taking steps against the domination system, and any country that is on this path will be supported by the regional countries,” he added.