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Iran Reiterates Opposition to US Presence in Gulf
Iran on November 19 reiterated opposition to the military presence of the United States in the Gulf.
There is "absolutely no need" for the US to deploy military forces in the Gulf region, said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.
The countries in the Gulf are able to "bring security to the region under the auspices of convergence, participation and cooperation," Asefi was quoted as saying by the country's Islamic Republic News Agency.
He also refuted as "irresponsible and insolent" recent remarks made by US Defense Secretary William Cohen on the Gulf security, saying US presence could only destabilize the region and sow seeds of discord among regional countries.
Cohen, currently on a Middle East tour, said on Thursday that US forces will remain in the Gulf no matter who will be the next US president. He said the US forces will try to maintain security in the region, which Washington claims is still threatened by Iraq.
He also preconditioned better US relations with Iran on its "halt to support international terrorism," opposition to the Mideast peace process and "attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction." Washington has imposed the three accusations on Tehran since they broke off ties in 1980.
Slamming Cohen's remarks, Asefi said the US is the real supporter of terrorism, as it backs Israel, which Iran does not recognize and refers to only as the Zionist regime.
"While the US itself defends the Zionist regime and its atrocities against the Palestinians, which is a token of state terrorism, it is not entitled to accuse other states of terrorism and set preconditions for them," Asefi said.
Over 230 Palestinians have been killed and thousands of others wounded in clashes with Israeli security forces in more than seven weeks.
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