Iran opposing any foreign military presence in Persian Gulf: Official

Tehran, Oct 14, IRNA - Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that the presence of foreign forces will not only help to maintain security but will also pave the way for increased tensions. In a meeting with the new Danish ambassador to Tehran Jesper Vahr, Araghchi said that the region's security must be acquired by countries in the region, and the presence of foreign forces will not only help maintain security but will also pave the way for increased tensions. He noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes any foreign military presence in the Persian Gulf region, including the European forces. Stressing that the security of the Persian Gulf is a common issue of countries in the region, he reiterated that sustainable security in the region depends on dialogue and cooperative participation between the countries of the region and the lack of interference by foreign powers. Araghchi went on to say that "Denmark and other European countries should confront the principal cause of tensions in the region, which is the destructive and wrong policies of the United States in the Persian Gulf, instead of sending troops and military equipment or selling weapons extensively to some countries of the region." The parties also discussed international and regional developments, counter-terrorism, conditions in the Middle East, the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, as well as the capacities of economic cooperation between the two countries.