Iran Raps US for Provoking Security Concerns in Region

In a statement on Saturday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani reacted to the comments by John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the US National Security Council, about the US’ plans for an integrated air defense system between the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council member states and Israel.

Kirby told reporters on Thursday, “Bilaterally we're talking with nations across the region about air defense capabilities specifically and what we can do to assist with their defense and then, exploring the idea of being able to kind of integrate all those air defenses together.”

In response, Kanaani said raising such an issue is provocative and Iran considers the statement as a threat against its national security and also regional security.

He said the fact that the US raises and pursues such issues without correctly understanding the realities of the region and merely for the purpose of portraying Iran as a threat and sowing division in the region shows that what matters to Washington is its own illegitimate interests and putting the Zionist regime on life support.

Kanaani expressed surprise that the White House official has posed himself as the spokesman of regional countries, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

Contrary to such ill-advised remarks, Iran has always underlined the need for dialogue and regional cooperation to ensure the security and mutual interests of regional countries without meddling by extra-regional states, the spokesman added.

He went on to say that attempting to cause new security concerns in the region will only undermine the mutual security of the region and serve the security interests of the Zionist regime. Kanaani said one cannot create a margin of security for the Zionist regime through deception and promotion of Iranophobia.

The experience has shown that stockpiling arms cannot bring security and that establishing joint regional security is contingent upon collective cooperation among regional countries and maintaining this cooperation calls for promoting understanding in the region, Kanaani stated, adding that Iran has shown its seriousness and determination in this regard by sticking to its policy of neighborliness.

The foreign ministry spokesman underlined at the end that the entry of foreigners into any regional process not only does not create security and stability, but it will work as a factor in causing tension and sowing division.

Therefore, he said, just as the 20-year presence of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan failed to bring security to those countries, any effort to pave the way for beefing up the presence of the US in regional security mechanisms will have no outcome but insecurity, instability and expansion of terrorism across the region.