Iran rejects US 'military hotline' proposal

Updated: 2011-10-11 06:53

(Xinhua)

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TEHRAN - Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the Islamic Republic has no interest in establishing a military-to-military hotline with the United States, the satellite Press TV reported on Monday.

Recently, some US media outlets reported that the US was considering setting up a direct military hotline with Iran after a series of encounters between the US and Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf.

This region belongs to regional countries which are capable of establishing its security, Sayyari said, adding that "so, we have no need to establish such communications."

Sayyari said that Iran fully monitors all movements in Iran's southern waters and "it is impossible for somebody to manage to come to a region and not be spotted by us," according to the report.

Both Iran's Navy and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have full control over the region from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, he said, adding that they will never permit any country's aircraft carriers or submarines to approach the region.

Also, Ali Aqazadeh-Dafsari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Majlis (parliament), denounced the US proposal as a political game, Press TV reported on Monday.

The proposal marked "America's new game" intended to manipulate the public opinion in the Muslim world, Aqazadeh-Dafsari was quoted as saying.

"Washington, by tabling this proposal, seeks to present Iran as a threat to the Middle East, while itself, by dispatching warships and deploying military forces in several bases has caused an emergency situation in the Persian Gulf," he added.

"If the White House officials are worried about insecurity in the Persian Gulf, they should immediately pull out their troops and warships from the (regional) waters, because the Islamic countries can maintain security in the region without the foreign intervention," the report quoted him as saying.

He said Iran has rejected the US offer which legitimizes the US military presence in the Persian Gulf.