Iran critical of US plan for missiles in Mideast
Source: Agencies |
February 3, 2010, Wednesday
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IRAN yesterday criticized the United States move to boost the defensive missiles system in Gulf Arab countries against potential strikes by Tehran, calling it a political ploy to increase American military presence in the region.
Parliament speaker Ali Larijani said upgrading the missile defense systems in the Persian Gulf would only bring more trouble for US forces.
"Regional countries should know that this puppet show by the US, while claiming to create security in the region is nothing except a new political ploy to increase the (American) military presence at the expense of others," Larijani said during a parliament session.
The remarks follow reports that the Obama administration has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations. One US military official said last week the Navy is stepping up the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight.
Four Mideast countries to have the US system are Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain - which also hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters - and Qatar, which has a modernized US air operations center that played a key role in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
General David Petraeus, the US Central Command chief responsible for US military operations across the Middle East, mentioned in recent public speeches one element of the defensive strategy in the Gulf: upgrading Patriot missile systems, which originally were deployed in the region to shoot down aircraft but now can hit missiles in flight.
In remarks at Georgetown Law School on January 21, Petraeus said the US now has eight Patriot missile batteries stationed in the Gulf region - two each in four countries.
Larijani warned Mideast nations not to be "deceived by US anti-Iran policies" and talk of the Iranian threat.
"When, in the past 31 years, has Iran attacked any of its neighboring states or any other countries in the region," Larijani asked, adding the 1980-88 war with Iraq was in defense against the attack launched by Saddam Hussein.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also denied this week's claims by Thailand that a planeload of North Korean weapons seized there in December was headed to Iran.
"There is no link between the aircraft and our country," Mehmanparast said.
He said Iran had no need to import such arms.
Parliament speaker Ali Larijani said upgrading the missile defense systems in the Persian Gulf would only bring more trouble for US forces.
"Regional countries should know that this puppet show by the US, while claiming to create security in the region is nothing except a new political ploy to increase the (American) military presence at the expense of others," Larijani said during a parliament session.
The remarks follow reports that the Obama administration has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations. One US military official said last week the Navy is stepping up the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight.
Four Mideast countries to have the US system are Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain - which also hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters - and Qatar, which has a modernized US air operations center that played a key role in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
General David Petraeus, the US Central Command chief responsible for US military operations across the Middle East, mentioned in recent public speeches one element of the defensive strategy in the Gulf: upgrading Patriot missile systems, which originally were deployed in the region to shoot down aircraft but now can hit missiles in flight.
In remarks at Georgetown Law School on January 21, Petraeus said the US now has eight Patriot missile batteries stationed in the Gulf region - two each in four countries.
Larijani warned Mideast nations not to be "deceived by US anti-Iran policies" and talk of the Iranian threat.
"When, in the past 31 years, has Iran attacked any of its neighboring states or any other countries in the region," Larijani asked, adding the 1980-88 war with Iraq was in defense against the attack launched by Saddam Hussein.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also denied this week's claims by Thailand that a planeload of North Korean weapons seized there in December was headed to Iran.
"There is no link between the aircraft and our country," Mehmanparast said.
He said Iran had no need to import such arms.
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