US' General McKenzie fears another attack by Iran on Gulf countries

The U.S. Central Command chief warned against a possible attack in the Gulf region by Iran. He said, 'Iran remains on the track to carry out a large-scale attack.' Talking about the drone attacks on Saudi Aramco, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told an American daily that as per his judgement, there is a possibility of another such attack.

Freedom of Navigation

General McKenzie has been critical of Iran for its recent activities in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a conference hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Manama, the U.s Central Command chief said that the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) is for maintaining freedom of navigation but Iran has been hindering it in the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Since the IMSC has been operational, none of those actions has taken place and that is an important fact worth considering," he said.

“The United States must work with partners to neutralize Iran’s malign activities in the region…I firmly believe achieving and maintaining deterrence against Iran is a key task for us,” he added.

Read: Saudi Oil Attacks: UK, France, And Germany Hold Iran Responsible

Accusations on Iran

The United States, along with France, Britain and Germany, had held Iran responsible for the attacks on the Saudi oil facilities. “It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details,” France, Britain and Germany had said in a joint statement. But Iran has vehemently denied the accusations of involvement in the attacks calling it "meaningless and not comprehensible”.

Read: Donald Trump Slams Iran Over Internet Shutdown Amid Protests

US action against Iran

Recently, Iran announced the resumption of enrichment activities in an underground lab in Fordow which was followed by lifting sanction waivers for the nuclear plant by the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at a news conference, said that the right amount of uranium enrichment for the world's largest state sponsor of terror is zero. "Therefore the United States will terminate the sanctions waiver related to the nuclear facility at Fordow effective December 15, 2019," said Pompeo.

Read: US Cancels Sanction Waivers For Fordow Nuclear Plant In Iran

Read: Europe Should Rethink Sanctions On Iran Over Nuclear Breaches: Germany

(With Inputs from Agencies)