Iranian FM Blames US for Regional Insecurities

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took the foreign military forces, specially the Americans, responsible for insecurity in the region.

News ID: 446704

Date: 23 August 2019 - 21:24

RNA - The US is the main cause of insecurity in the region, Zarif said, addressing the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

He also underlined the need for all countries to choose multilateralism not as an option but as a necessity.

Zarif, meantime, blasted the US for withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and practicing economic terrorism against Iran, and said, "All countries should respect international rights."

He also called on the European states to comply with their undertakings under the nuclear deal, warning that Iran's third step to modify its nuclear deal undertakings will come to be stronger.

"We have declared our options (for this third step) to Europe," Zarif said.

In relevant remarks on Tuesday, Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht-e Ravanchi also criticized the massive presence of US forces in the region, describing it as the main cause of instability and insecurity.

According to Fars News Agancy, Takht-e Ravanchi made the remarks in New York, addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Middle East peace and security challenges.

He described deployment of more than 70,000 US servicemen as one the main reason behind insecurity and instability in the Middle East region, emphasizing that Pentagon has active military presence in all Persian Gulf states except Iran.

“The number of foreign military installations in the Middle East has jumped from four in 1991 to 41 in 2018. Nearly all of them belong to the US, which mark the highest concentration of military sites in the world,” he said.

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