TEHRAN— The United States and Israel's preparations for a collective military alliance with Arab nations to confront what they call threat by Iranian drones and missiles will only exacerbate regional tensions, the Iranian foreign ministry has said.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday that raising such issue is provocative and the Islamic Republic considers the statement as a threat against its national security and also regional security.

Kanaani was reacting to the notion of completing air defense systems of the region raised by National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House John Kirby and his hostile comments against Iran. 

He also said the fact that the U.S. raises and pursues such issues without correctly understanding the realities of the region and merely for the purpose of portraying Iran as a threat and sowing division in the region shows that what matters for Washington is its own illegitimate interests and putting the Israeli regime on life support.

Kanaani expressed surprise that the White House official has presented himself as the spokesman of regional countries. 

Contrary to such ill-advised remarks, Iran has always underlined the need for dialog and regional cooperation to ensure the security and mutual interests of regional countries without meddling by extra-regional states, the spokesman remarked.

He went on to say that attempting to cause new security concerns in the region will only result in undermining mutual security in the region and serving the security interests of the Zionist regime. Kanaani added one cannot create a margin of security for the Israeli regime through deception and promotion of Iranophobia.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman underscored that experience has shown that stockpiling arms cannot bring security and that establishing joint regional security is contingent upon collective cooperation among regional countries and maintaining this cooperation entails promoting understanding in the region. 

The diplomat noted that Iran has shown its seriousness and determination in this regard by sticking to its policy of neighborliness.

The foreign ministry spokesman went on to say that the entry of foreigners into any regional equations not only does not create security and stability but it will work as a factor in causing tension and sowing division, he insisted. 

Therefore, he said, just as the 20-year presence of the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan failed to bring security to those countries, any effort to pave the way for beefing up the presence of the U.S. in regional security mechanisms will have no outcome but insecurity, instability and expansion of terrorism across the region.
Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday, “They’re always going to be a little suspicious, but they do seem to be moving in the right direction toward greater cooperation.”

Tehran’s robust drone and missile systems have forced Saudi Arabia and others to bolster their air defense systems, Karako said.