AFP . Tehran :
Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani on Sunday denounced the presence of foreign forces in the Gulf and said Iran will present a peace plan, after its arch-foe Washington ordered reinforcements to the tense region.
“Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region,” Rouhani said before a military parade commemorating the Iran-Iraq war.
Rouhani also said Iran would present a peace plan to the United Nations within days. “In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them,” he said.
Rouhani and top military brass saluted as row after row of soldiers marched past them in tight formation, followed by an array of homegrown military hardware.
The parade showcased tanks, armoured vehicles, drones and missiles-including the Khorramshahr, said to have a range of 2,000 kilometres (more than 1,200 miles).
Tensions between Iran and the US and its allies have threatened to boil over since May last year when president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal and later began reimposing sanctions.
The tensions escalated in the wake of devastating 14 September attacks on Saudi oil installations that Washington and Riyadh have, to varying degrees, blamed on Tehran.
Following the attacks, which triggered a spike in global oil prices, Trump initially raised the possibility of a military response, saying the US was “locked and loaded”.
Washington later expanded its long list of sanctions against Tehran, targeting its central bank, but Trump indicated he did not plan military action.
On Friday, defence secretary Mark Esper said the US was sending reinforcements to Saudi Arabia at “the kingdom’s request”, but noted they would be “defensive in nature”.
Rouhani called on the foreign powers to “stay away” from the Gulf.
“If they’re sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race,” he said.
“Your presence has always brought pain and misery… The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be,” he added.
