​Iran’s foreign minister on Monday blamed the US for turning the Persian Gulf into a “matchbox ready to ignite” by bolstering its military presence in the region and selling arms to ​countries in the Middle East.

“The region has become a matchbox ready to ignite because America and its allies are flooding it with weapons,” ​Javad Zarif said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

​The Trump administration announced last month that it was building a coalition of allies to ensure maritime security after accusing Iran of harassing oil tankers in the Gulf of Hormuz.

​Washington has also entered into an agreement with Saudi Arabia to sell the kingdom $8.1 billion worth of weapons that include precision-guided missiles and bombs.

Zarif pointed out the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, which is 21 miles wide and carries about 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil daily.

“This is a tiny body of water and the more foreign naval vessels you have in this body [of] water, the less secure it is for everybody. Based on experience, the presence of US and foreign naval fleet in the Persian Gulf has never produced security​,” he said.

Zarif was referring to the USS Vincennes shooting down an Iranian airliner flying over the Strait of Hormuz in July 1988, killing all on board.

“We believe the best the Americans can do for protection of maritime navigation is to just leave people alone. Don’t interfere, this is a hostile act against Iran and I don’t believe any other impact other than insecurity,” Zarif added.