Iran peace plan as Gulf ‘fortified’

Tehran, Sept. 22: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday denounced the presence of foreign forces in the Gulf and said Iran will proffer a peace plan, after arch-foe the United States ordered reinforcements to the tinderbox region.

“Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region,” Rouhani said in a televised speech at an annual military parade. Rouhani also said Iran would present a peace plan to the UN in the coming days. “In this sensitive moment, we announce to our neighbours that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them,” he said. In his speech delivered before a massive military parade on Sunday, Rouhani called on the foreign powers in the Gulf region to “stay away”.

“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 for the region. The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be for our region.” “We are even ready to ignore their past mistakes... since today the situation is such that the enemies of Islam and the region, meaning America and Zionism, want to abuse the rift between us.

“Our logic is the logic of

a Persian Gulf whose security comes from within,” said the Iranian president. Following his speech, the Iranian armed forces paraded their latest equipment, including tanks, missiles and armoured vehicles as Rouhani and top military commanders saluted them.

Rouhani is expected to travel to New York on Monday, a day before general debate kicks off at the United Nations General Assembly.

Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is subject to US sanctions, has already arrived in New York ahead of the annual gathering.

Tensions have flared in the Gulf since May, when Iran began reducing its commitments to the nuclear deal and the US said it was sending forces to waters near the Islamic republic in response to “indications of a credible threat” from its forces.