Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said at a news conference on Monday that a planned meeting with officials from Gulf states to discuss the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed due to "events unfolding in Yemen."

Baghaei stated that Oman and Iran "have taken a joint decision aimed at arriving at a responsible" approach to the management of the strait. He noted that the meeting, scheduled to take place in Oman, would have been an "opportunity to demonstrate the significance of these decisions."

"Had this meeting taken place, it would have been a very suitable opportunity [to discuss the new policy]. I do not believe any responsible country would accept in any shape, way, or form to be dictated to or be subjected to pressure from any outside forces," he said.

The Strait of Hormuz, which falls in Iran and Oman's territorial waters, has been effectively blocked by Tehran amid the US-Israel war on the country. Baghaei said Iran has "no relations whatsoever with what is unfolding in Yemen," adding that Tehran does not interfere in its affairs. He added that Saudi Arabia requested the postponement of the meeting.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen have escalated since July, when Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, declared a naval blockade on their northwestern neighbour. Clashes escalated last week as Houthis seized the port of Mocha, tightening their control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its forces had intercepted and destroyed an advanced MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC said it intercepted the drone using a new aerospace defence system.

Regarding an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel on Sunday that killed one person, Baghaei said two Pakistani citizens working on board were also injured. The United States and Israel "continue to target security" in the Gulf, he added.

Source: www.aljazeera.com