Outsiders source of insecurity in Persian Gulf, Iran hits back at NATO
Tehran (KNA) - Iran has warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that outsiders only cause insecurity in the Persian Gulf, after the head of the Western military alliance described the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile and nuclear energy programs as the main destabilizing factors in the region.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns such meddlesome remarks about the internal affairs of the Persian Gulf region and its countries by foreign powers and security organizations," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told reporters Wednesday.
"Iran believes any meddling by outsiders in the security orders of the region is in itself a contributing factor to tensions in the region," he added.
Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused Iran of "proliferating of weapons of mass destruction" and "destabilizing" behavior.
The statement came as the NATO chief tried during a speech at the Columbia University to convince the member states to increase military spending, a key source of tension between the alliance and the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Source: PressTV