TEHRAN- Iran’s defense minister has dismissed U.S. foolish plans to form a marine task force in the Red Sea with the apparent goal of defending vessels headed toward Israel.

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani issued a severe warning to the United States in statements that were made public on Thursday, stressing that there is no space in the region for foreigners to move around and establish a presence.

He also expressed confidence that the United States would never do such a “foolish” conduct since it would generate a slew of complications.

“Americans would not definitely do such a thing. If they intend to do such a foolish act, they will face plenty of problems,” the Iranian official warned.  

Following a string of Yemeni attacks on ships that were either Israeli-owned or sailing toward the occupied Palestinian territories, the Pentagon announced last week that it was prepared to assist in the formation of a maritime task force to safeguard commerce shipping in the Red Sea. This announcement prompted the warning.

National security advisor to President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, stated on December 4 that such patrols or escorts could be the proper reaction to ships being targeted in the region.

The U.S. has hinted that a number of important countries have shown interest in joining the maritime task force.

In reaction, Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement dismissed U.S. plans to form a maritime task force in the Red Sea, saying the group has numerous “stinging” pressure leverages that can be activated in the strategic body of water.

“We have stinging pressure leverages against the countries that will participate in the coalition in the Red Sea against Yemen,” said Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarullah's political bureau.

Earlier this month, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman rejected British accusations that Iran was involved in a spate of attacks targeting Israeli vessels in the Red Sea, calling the claims baseless and politically motivated. 

“These claims are raised with specific political motives and indicate the efforts of the British authorities to distort the realities of the region and their susceptibility to the preferences of third parties, including the child-killing Zionist regime,” Nasser Kanaani said.

He added that such provocative statements by London pose a threat to regional and international stability. 

“As we have stated clearly before, the resistance groups in the region do not take orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran to confront and respond to the war crimes and genocide of the Zionist regime. These groups make their own decisions based on their principles, priorities, and interests of their country and people.”

Kanaani also advised the British authorities to focus their energy on bringing an end to the Israeli war crimes in Gaza, instead of coming up with “baseless” accusations. 

Yemenis have declared open support for Palestine’s struggle against Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 in response to the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements carrying out a surprise retaliatory attack against the occupying entity, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

In Gaza, which Israel is putting under complete siege, numerous additional individuals are also missing and thought to be dead beneath the rubble.

The Yemeni Armed Forces claimed responsibility for a missile assault on a Norwegian-flagged ship in the Red Sea as it approached an Israeli port on Tuesday.

On December 4, the Yemeni army also attacked two Israeli ships attempting to reach the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.