Iran Monday urged American forces to leave the Gulf region and rejected Washington's accusations that it is running a secret nuclear weapons program.
"Neither Iran nor the countries in the region feel comfortable with foreign troops in the region," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters on a visit to the Philippines.
"We hope the situation comes that the foreign troops, including the Americans, will leave because the security and stability of the region would be safeguarded by the countries in the region," he added, according to AP.
Asefi also rejected American claims that Tehran is involved in secret nuclear weapons programs, adding: "We are not looking for any military nuclear activity."
"That is out of the question. We are not thinking that way," he said. "We are having a very good cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. We are ready to continue that." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)