Persian Gulf Security A Regional Matter: Ayatollah Khamenei
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underlined that security of the Persian Gulf region comes within the purview of the regional countries alone, and dismissed the US claim of seeking security in the region.
“The Persian Gulf security relates to the countries of the region which have common interests, and not to the US. So, security of the Persian Gulf region should be provided by the countries of this region itself,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a gathering of Iranian officials and foreign ambassadors to Iran, held in Tehran on Saturday.
The Leader noted that a secure Persian Gulf will benefit the security of all regional countries, while insecurity in the water body will in the same way influence the security of whole regional states.
The Supreme Leader also debunked Washington’s claim about being after ensuring security in the Persian Gulf.
The US does not seek security in the Persian Gulf and even lacks the competence to comment on the issue, the Leader underlined.
Ayatollah Khamenei then referred to the imposed war on Yemen as a testimony to the falsity of US claim that it tries to maintain security in the Middle East region.
“Today, Yemen has become the scene of massacre of innocent children and women, whose perpetrators are the apparent Muslim countries, but the US is the main mastermind behind it,” the Leader explained.
Imam Khamenei also rejected the US claims of counter-terrorism, describing that as a propaganda campaign -based on lies- that Washington uses to carry out its plots and protect its own interests in the region.
“Americans make such claims while they have confessed to having a role in the creation of the most dangerous terrorist groups, such as ISIL. Americans officially support terrorist groups in Syria and their backers. Americans support the fake Zionist regime which has pressurized Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, but they falsely claim in their slogans to be fighting terrorism,” the Leader noted.
The main policy that the arrogant powers pursue in the region at the current circumstances is to “wage proxy wars,” the Leader added, warning the regional countries not to fall victim to the US plots that only aim to maximize profit for the American arms manufacturers.
Ayatollah Khamenei then refuted allegations of Tehran’s support for terrorism, arguing that the one who blatantly sponsors terrorism is the US.
“The Iranian nation will cooperate with all in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the occupied territories (Palestine) who have stood against the most dangerous terrorists and the terrorist Zionists.”
The Leader’s comments seem to have come in reaction to a joint statement issued by the US and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council that accused Iran of destabilizing activities in the region.
While heads of delegations of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) and the US President Barack Obama in a Thursday statement after a meeting at Camp David said “there is no military solution to the regions’ armed civil conflicts,” a Saudi-led military campaign on Yemen has wreaked havoc on the Arabian Peninsula nation.
The Saudi-led coalition, which seeks to restore power to the fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, includes eight other Arab states and is receiving support from the US, Britain and France.
According to Yemen's Freedom House Foundation, the Saudi airstrikes have claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Yemeni people so far while more than 6,887 others have been wounded since March 26.