TEHRAN – The senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader says certain Persian Gulf Arab states and European countries have become U.S. arms depots.

 

“In fact, certain southern Persian Gulf states and even European countries have become American weapons depots,” Major General Yahya Rahim-Safavi told reporters on Monday.

 

For example, Safavi said, Saudi Arabia alone bought a cache of weapons worth 30 billion dollars from the United States last year. 

 

On the NATO missile shield in Turkey, the former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said, “The new strategy of the Americans on missile shields has started a chain from Turkey that will stretch to Iraq and the Persian Gulf (Arab states).”

 

He added that the main purpose behind these chains of missile shields is to protect the security of Israel, which is protected by the U.S.

 

“Every president in the U.S. puts the security of the Zionist regime on his agenda,” the general noted.

 

The major general said that the U.S. used the missile shields and arms sales to recoup its oil expenditure in the Persian Gulf Arab states.

 

He said the U.S. has established different military bases in the region to protect itself “but their costs are paid by Arab countries.”

 

The senior military advisor to the Leader said missile shields are a threat to both Iran and Russia.

 

“Though Iran has no intention of aggression and the strategy of our country is defensive the missile shield is a threat to Iran and also the Russian Federation.”

 

A Pentagon official announced on March 27 that Washington is seeking to build regional shields against ballistic missiles in both Asia and the Middle East akin to the controversial defense system in Europe, Reuters reported.

 

Madelyn Creedon, the assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs, said the U.S. will work to promote "interoperability and information-sharing" among the members of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman - as they acquire greater missile-defense capabilities.