Iran President Hassan Rouhani took aim at the Republican and accused foreign forces of bringing nothing but “pain and misery” to the middle-eastern nation. He also said Iran should not be used in an “arms race”. Speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war he said: “Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region.”
He told them to “stay away” and added the deployment of troops in the past had ended in “disaster”.
He added: “If they’re sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race.
“The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be.”
He also said Iran was now “ready to let go of the past mistakes”.
He continued: “In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them.”
His words come after President Trump approved the deployment of US forces to the Middle East following the attack on two Saudi Arabian oil facilities of which Tehran claimed responsibility for.
Sky News reported US troops and military equipment will also be sent to the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, a Saudi Arabian ally.
US Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said personnel would not be in the thousands but he was not more specific.
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He commented: “No single system is going to be able to defend against a threat like that, but a layered system of defensive capabilities would mitigate the risk of swarms of drones or other attacks that may come from Iran.”
The Abaqaiq facility and the Khurais oil field were attacked in the early hours of last Saturday.
The attacks caused a reduction of more than half in Saudi Arabia’s daily oil experts, more than five percent of the world’s daily production.
Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, initially said they were responsible for the attack.
In recent days, the finger has been pointed directly at Iran.
Iran denies any involvement in the attack on the oil facilities.
Tensions between the US and Tehran surged after Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal last year.
This month, Iran signalled to the EU is was ready to tear up the nuclear deal unless Europe rebelled against President Trump’s crippling sanctions.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow: “It is meaningless to continue unilateral commitments to the deal if we don’t enjoy its benefits as promised by the deal’s European parties.”
Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi added: “The third step has been designed and will be stronger than the first and second steps to create a balance between Iran’s rights and commitments to the JCPOA.”