TEHRAN: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday criticized the deployment of US troops in the Middle East, denouncing it as a destabilizing factor for regional security.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran ahead of the 45th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution on February 12, Raisi expressed his disapproval of the presence of US forces in the region, stating that it lacked justification.
Iranian President Says US Forces Hamper Security
Highlighting the deployments of US troops in countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, Raisi asserted that the American military presence does not contribute to regional security but rather hampers it.
Raisi’s remarks came amid a regional visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was engaged in discussions regarding a potential ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Tensions in the region have escalated since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
The Iranian president condemned recent attacks carried out by US-led coalition forces against targets in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, accusing the United States of perpetrating “Iranophobia” and “Islamophobia.”
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have continued since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent severing of formal diplomatic ties in 1980, following the storming of the US embassy in Iran.
