TEHRAN - The U.S. attempt to have a UN Security Council vote on a resolution concerning Yemen is met with great skepticism by Iran’s and Russia’s foreign ministers, who see it as a ruse to justify the U.S. military’s growing presence in the Red Sea region.

Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, and Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, spoke over the phone on Tuesday night on a variety of topics, including regional events, the Red Sea situation, and the Gaza war.

The Iranian foreign minister stressed the significance of international maritime security while criticizing the U.S. attempt to approve a resolution against Yemen under the guise of protecting security in the Red Sea.

Amir Abdollahian went on to add, “The developments in the Red Sea are related to Gaza and the behavior of the U.S. and the Israeli regime towards Palestine, and proposing such a resolution lays the groundwork for increased American military presence in the region and the Red Sea.”

The U.S.-sponsored resolution, which asks for an immediate cessation of attacks by Yemen’s forces on commercial and maritime vessels in the Red Sea region, was to be put to a vote by the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Earlier, the U.S. also tried to have the United Nations Security Council ratify a resolution accusing Yemen of endangering maritime security in the Red Sea.

In their Tuesday talks, Iran’s chief diplomat said, “The developments in the Red Sea are linked to Gaza, and the United States and the Israeli regime's attitude towards Palestine.”

He continued by saying, “Proposal of such a resolution is rather aimed at paving the way for increased American military presence in the region and the Red Sea.”

Lavrov also criticized the United States’ recent activities in the UN Security Council on Yemen as an excuse for a greater presence in the region, saying, “The Americans aren’t very interested in finding the root causes of the crises.”

Iran’s FM emphasizes the need to end slaughter in Gaza

Elsewhere in the phone call, the Iranian and Russian officials reviewed the latest events in the Gaza Strip, including the continued killing of the people by the Zionist regime.

Iran’s foreign minister emphasized the need to end the slaughter of the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza.

Lavrov also expressed the grief of the Russian government to the Iranian government and people for the tragic murder of Iranian citizens in a recent terrorist assault in Kerman.

“Similar to Iran, we also desire peace in the region, an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Lavrov emphasized.

In addition to highlighting the need for implementing a comprehensive and strategic cooperation agreement between the two nations and concentrating on stronger bilateral collaboration in the transportation sector, Lavrov emphasized the necessity to deepen relations between Moscow and Tehran.

Along with intentions to ease Iranian truckers’ travels on the Belarus-Russia route, the two ministers also addressed the last steps in the implementation of the Rasht-Astara railroad project and the long-term cooperation agreement between Tehran and Moscow.