Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov say the United States, in sending a naval task force to the Red Sea, is pursuing pretexts to expand its military presence in the region.

The top diplomats made the remarks in a phone call on Tuesday.

Yemen has vowed to prevent the passage through the Red Sea of all ships that are either owned by Israel or heading to the regime's ports.

The country says the policy will last unless the regime terminates a genocidal war it has been waging against the Gaza Strip with American support.

More than 23,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have died in the war so far.

In addition to throwing military and political support behind the war, the US has announced a naval coalition tasked with patrolling the Red Sea in response to Yemeni strikes.

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

"The developments in the Red Sea are linked to Gaza, and the United States and the Israeli regime's attitude towards Palestine," Amir-Abdollahian said.

"Proposal of such a resolution is rather aimed at paving the way for increased American military presence in the region and the Red Sea," he added.

Lavrov, for his part, likewise considered the US's efforts against Yemen at the Security Council to be aimed at enlarging Washington's regional presence.  

"The Americans are not so much interested in finding the roots...and main causes of [existing] crises," he added.