Iran has denounced as "
provocative
" the United States' plan to strengthen cooperation between its Middle Eastern allies on air defense, a subject to be discussed next week during the visit to the region. President Joe Biden.
It is a "
provocative proposal (...) and a threat to national and regional security
", Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said on Saturday evening.
“
Trying to create new security concerns in the region will only result in weakening common regional security and serving the security interests of the Zionist regime
,” he further said, referring to Israel.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, as part of his tour of the Middle East which he will begin in Israel, Joe Biden will notably discuss "
strengthened regional collaboration, particularly on air defense
", said Thursday the spokesman of the National Security Council (CSN), within the White House, John Kirby.
The American president has planned to participate in a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which brings together the Arab monarchies of the Gulf.
The United States and its allies in the Middle East accuse Iran of destabilizing the region with its ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups.
“
We continue to work on integrated air defense frameworks and capabilities across this region
” due to “
concerns about Iran and its growing ballistic missile capabilities, not to mention its support for regional terrorism
,” Kirby said. Thursday.
Joe Biden is due to meet the leaders of Israel, sworn enemy of Iran, Saudi Arabia, regional rival of the Islamic Republic, and those of other countries in the region such as Egypt, Iraq and the Jordan.
"
We are talking bilaterally with countries in the region about air defense capabilities and we are exploring the idea of integrating these capabilities
" into a common framework "
to really improve the (air) cover against the growing Iranian threat
", explained Mr. Kirby again.
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For Tehran, Washington raises such issues "
for the sole purpose of inciting Iranophobia and creating discord between countries in the region
", Kanani said.
"
Any effort to increase the presence and role of the United States in regional security mechanisms will only lead to regional insecurity, instability and the spread of terrorism
," the Iranian spokesman added. .