US military presence brings ‘nothing but insecurity’ to West Asia: Qalibaf

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf says the joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran has exposed the reality that the American military presence in West Asia brings “nothing but insecurity” to the region.

Speaking during a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Sunday, Qalibaf said some regional governments once believed that reliance on Washington would guarantee their security.

“Recent events have made it clear that the US presence has not brought security to the region; rather, it has itself become a source of insecurity and instability,” he added.

The United States and the Israeli regime, he said, have brought only “evil and instability” to the nations of the region through war, intervention, and pressure policies.

Qalibaf reiterated that regional countries must strengthen cooperation and build security arrangements based on trust and coordination without foreign interference.

“The solution to these conditions is for the countries of the region to rely on mutual trust and cooperation among themselves.”

Naqvi, for his part, said ties between Tehran and Islamabad have grown even closer in recent months.

He praised Iran’s position during negotiations in Islamabad, saying Tehran had firmly defended its national interests while simultaneously seeking ways to resolve the conflict with the United States.

“We witnessed your insistence on Iran’s national interests in the Islamabad negotiations, while at the same time trying to resolve the conflict,” he told Qalibaf.

Naqvi also expressed hope that Islamabad would help bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion.

Qalibaf, who attended Pakistan-mediated peace talks as Iran’s lead negotiator in Islamabad, also praised Islamabad’s support for the Islamic Republic.

Pakistan has been brokering indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire following 40 days of intense fighting on April 8.

On April 11–12, the two sides held a marathon 21-hour diplomatic effort in Islamabad to reach a consensus, but the talks collapsed over excessive US demands.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a recent statement that the mediation process by Pakistan has not failed but is facing “difficulties.”

Araghchi also cited “contradictory messages” from the US, saying Tehran is interested in negotiations only if Washington is serious.

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