Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says the interference of trans-regional countries in the Persian Gulf is detrimental to the security of the region.
In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Mehmanparast warned against the dependence of some regional countries on foreign forces and military hardware, which could endanger security in the Persian Gulf.
A US-led drill, participated by nine other regional states, was held in Bahrain from April 8 to 18.
The military forces of the United States and the other nine states, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan, participated in the drill, codenamed Main Connection 2012.
Mehmanparast said the Persian Gulf littoral countries should provide the security of the region through cooperation with other regional nations, although no attempts have been made to this end.
“Iran seeks to provide security of the region by cooperating with regional countries and without the interference of foreign forces,” he added.
Commenting on the recent claims made by the United Arab Emirates over the three Iranian islands of Abu Mousa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb, Mehmanparast stressed Iran's sovereignty over the islands, adding that Tehran welcomes talks to clear any misunderstanding over the issue.
MYA/GHN/HJL
