The United States is unjustifiably seizing Iranian oil shipments and blaming Iran when it detains Iranian ships for violations, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, commenting on a statement by White House spokesman John Kirby, who said the US will undertake measures to strengthen its presence in the Persian Gulf, Jamaran agency reported.

"Contrary to the statements of the American official, the American government itself, resorting to measures that violate the maritime law by seizing and confiscating a number of shipments of Iranian oil in international waters, endangers the safety of navigation, official and international trade, and [despite that,] shamelessly blames Iran," said Kanaani.

According to Kanaani, Iran is the most efficiently working country in terms of ensuring the safety of navigation in regional and international waters. He explained that the recent seizure of two ships was due to their violations and was carried out based on the court's decisions in order to comply with international shipping laws.

As per the official representative of the Iranian foreign ministry, the US has been pursuing an interventionist and destructive policy for decades, which has created instability in the Persian Gulf region, and the new accusations against Iran are also an excuse to justify or increase the US presence in the region.

Kanaani noted that Iran has a long maritime border, so it is more interested in ensuring security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz than other countries, and "the presence of American forces and destabilizing actions double Iran's responsibility for ensuring the security of the region and the Strait of Hormuz."