Tehran warns off Gulf-based attack

GCC countries should not allow the use of US military bases in their territories against Iran, Speaker of Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani told reporters Wednesday at the Kuwaiti Parliament. “GCC nations must prevent the use of these military bases as a launching pad for an attack on Iran. We do not mean harm to any of these countries,” Larijani asserted in a press conference before his departure. Larijani said his country’s strategy is based on the respect of other countries’ sovereignties, and non-interference in their domestic affairs. Stating his two-day official visit to Kuwait was aimed at bolstering tries between the Kuwaiti and Iranian parliaments, Larijani revealed his visit led to the formation of the Kuwaiti-Iranian Friendship Committee to strengthen bilateral ties.

“Discussions during this visit focused on a number of topics, including financial, political, and commercial, as well as some sensitive issues related to regional and international affairs. There are many opportunities for commercial exchange between the two countries,” Larijani opined, adding that an agreement has been reached for the commercial and trade chambers of both countries to “broaden fields of cooperation”. Other issues tackled during Larijani’s visit include the transport of water and gas. He clarified “negotiations are still ongoing” regarding the disputed Al-Dorra gas field. On the demonstrations in Iran following the presidential elections, Larijani stressed “conflicts are quite natural for a country where popular political participation is taken seriously, but unusual in politically dead nations whose rulers have been in power for many decades. Media institutions have been publishing exaggerated reports on the recent developments in Iran. There is a big difference between what has been published and the actual events in the Islamic Republic.”

Without ruling out external influences on the internal affairs of Iran, Larijani stated, “Some countries have been trying to realize their goals and implement their agendas in Iran, which explains the assassination of physicist Ali Mohamadi”. He added the Iranian revolution has overcome much tougher challenges.
Accusing some “regional, western and Zionist affiliations” of trying to instigate conflicts between Iran and countries in the region, Larijani affirmed Iran recognizes the right of nations to implement their own policies.
Narrating the history of ties between Iran and the Arab world, Larijani said the Iranian revolution never harmed any of the Arab states. “Our support to Hamas and Hezbollah does not mean interference in the internal affairs of other countries. We are doing this to advocate Islamic armed resistance to face Zionist aggression,” he argued. He went on to say if it was not for the Iranian support to Hamas, Israel would have belittled the whole region. “We are proud of supporting Hamas and those who pulled out should blame themselves,” he added.

Larijani lamented several countries have accused Iran of supporting Shiites when it backed up Hezbollah in its war against Israel in Southern Lebanon in 2006, while these countries held discreet talks with the Zionist side. “When Iran started supporting Hamas in Gaza, these voices can no longer claim we only support Shiites, so they started instigating conflicts between Iran and Arab nations,” he said. He also accused the US and Israel of trying to control more of the region’s wealth and military bases.

On the Iranian nuclear program, Larijani explained this has been in existence even prior to the Iranian revolution, during which Iran got assistance from many countries, including France and Germany. However, this assistance was cut off after the revolution, so Iran was forced to realize its nuclear goals on its own.
“The US imposed sanctions on us to stop working on our nuclear program, but we still succeeded. This is a major victory and the nuclear plant will be a base for the Islamic world since the West aims to hinder the Muslim world from having a nuclear plant. General Secretary of the European Union Javier Solana had earlier contended that if they approve the Iranian nuclear program, the other countries will follow suit, but we are determined,” Larijani said.
Larijani also rejected claims that Iran poses a grave threat to the region, asserting “the Zionist existence is the real threat” as Iran does not aim to own nuclear weapons. He added US President Barrak Obama has not changed the foreign policies of America and he had also failed in handling the Palestinian issue, citing the embargo on Gaza and the construction of Israeli settlements.