Iranian President Explains Why He Wants The U.S. And Allies To Leave The Persian Gulf

On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared that the Persian Gulf region would be much safer if the United States and its allies permanently left the region, leaving security up to Iran and nations who choose to work with them.

According to Politico, the announcement came on the same day Iran held a series of military parades that put the Islamic Republic’s vast military arsenal on full display, complete with naval exercises in the Persian Gulf, commandos fast-roping onto ships, and portable missile launchers proudly displayed in the streets.

Rouhani, who spoke from a riser at the military parade surrounded by officers and armed troops from the Revolutionary Guard, laid out a case for why Western powers should pull out from the increasingly volatile region.

“Your presence has always been a calamity for this region and the farther you go from our region and our nations, the more security would come for our region,” Rouhani said. He also wants other Persian Gulf nations, even those who’ve had past run-ins with Iran, to come together to stabilize the region. He claimed he would “extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood” and was ready to “forgive their past mistakes.”

Rouhani made the remarks on the heels of news that President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of U.S. troops and military equipment to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after a devastating drone and cruise missile attack on a Saudi state-run oil facility temporarily crippled a portion of the global oil market.

According to The Inquisitr, Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the deployment announcement at the Pentagon, saying the move would “send a clear message” to countries in the region that the United States was ready to defend its allies and regional interests.

The Iranian president’s plan to secure the region would involve working with countries like India, Russia, Pakistan, Oman, and China, who have all increased cooperation with Iran’s navy in recent years.

But the United States doesn’t appear to be ready to pull out of the region anytime soon, as agreements with friendly nations in the region mean there will indefinitely be a Western-led influence to protect national security interests, given the fact that a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

In the wake of several aggressive actions allegedly perpetrated by Iran over the past year, a growing U.S.-led coalition has increased their presence in the Persian Gulf area of operation, which includes help from Australia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani has called the new coalition a plot to plunder the region.