TEHRAN – The military presence of trans-regional countries in the Persian Gulf region is a full example of foreign interference, an Iranian parliamentarian warned on Tuesday.

Iran is strongly against any further complications of affairs in the region, and any measure which adds to the complications of regional developments will not help peace and security, said Ali Najafi Khoshroudi who sits on the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

“We have always highlighted that we don’t embrace foreign forces in the region, and the presence of foreign militaries in the region is a clear example of interfering in other countries’ affairs,” Fars quoted him as saying.

On July 29, Mohsen Rezaee, the secretary of the Expediency Council and the former chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said that despite the malicious efforts by the U.S. and UK to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz with escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf region, Tehran will not allow such a thing to happen.

“Americans and the British have been fanning the flames of war in the Persian Gulf region to pretend they have control over the Strait of Hormuz and the movement of vessels. Of course, we do not allow this to happen. In the meantime, we expect cooperation from our friends in China,” Rezaee said in a meeting with a senior Chinese delegation headed by Song Tao, the director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC(.

Rezaee added that Iran is not seeking war but will defend itself, while the Americans want conflict and seek to increase the tensions.

“Persian Gulf security is our security and we have to respond to their attacks and destabilizing actions in order to maintain security,” he said, adding, “We want free shipping and security in the Persian Gulf.”

“We live in the energy region of the world. Any kind of insecurity and conflict in this region would carry harm to global peace and security,” Rezaee said, pointing to the new developments in the region.

SP/PA