Iran urges exit of foreign forces from region

Tehran, Dec 29 A top Iranian security official has urged foreign forces to leave the region.

"Security in the region can only be achieved through the removal of external factors" which are against the stability of the region, Xinhua news agency quoted Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, as saying on Monday.

He said that "the recent US force's increased mobility in the region is a show of defiance and fear".

Earlier in the day, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, also said that Iran has sent messages to the US to avoid any new "adventurism" in the region.

"We have not been looking for a tension in the region and we are not. We will not hesitate to defend our country.

"We hope the wise in Washington will defuse tensions," the spokesman added.

( With inputs from IANS )

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