Iran Not to Negotiate with West over Regional Presence: Leader

“While the US has a corrupt and seditious presence everywhere, they regularly raise doubts about Iran’s presence in the region,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a meeting with a number of religious poets in Tehran on Thursday.

“Should we ask for the US’s permission to have a presence in the region?” the Leader said, adding that Iran would hold talks with regional countries for its presence in the region, not with the US.

“Whenever we wanted to have a presence in the US, we would negotiate with you,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“The issue (of Iran’s regional presence) is none of your business. Is this our region or yours? What are you doing in our region?” the Leader said.

In remarks in June 2016, Ayatollah 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,” the Leader said.

In recent years, the Middle East has been plagued with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL or ISIS), which are believed to have been created and supported by the West and some regional Arab countries.

The terrorist groups, which claim to be Islamic but whose actions are anything but, have been committing heinous crimes not only against non-Muslims but mostly against Muslims in the region.

Iraq and Syria have been among the countries gripped by terrorism.

Iran, a close ally of the two countries, has supported their legitimate governments in their campaign against foreign-backed militancy and terrorism.