Iran dismisses UAE’s move on NATO

A top Iranian military figure has slammed efforts by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to get close to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“This move by the UAE sets the stage to officially authorize the presence of an uninvited guest in the region,” Vice Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the director of the Iranian Armed Forces’ Center for Strategic Studies, told IRNA.

Such measures, said the admiral, run counter to the policy of maintaining cordial ties with neighboring countries.

He further touched upon the presence of alien forces in the Persian Gulf region, and said, “Foreign forces cannot guarantee the security of the countries in the region.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Shamkhani refuted recent US allegations that Iran was involved in the 9/11 attacks.

He said Washington seeks to tarnish Iran’s image to achieve its objectives in the region.

He pointed to the wave of Islamic awakening which has swept the Middle East and North Africa, and underlined the United States tries to cash in on any event to paint a “violent” picture of Iran.

The White House recently accused Tehran of involvement in orchestrating the 9/11 incident in cahoots with Hamas.

Vice Admiral Shamkhani dismissed Washington’s claim as “untrue and unsubstantiated,” saying the move is just a PR exercise.

He urged Iranian officials not to allow the US to achieve its goals through such propaganda campaigns.