NATO, US presence stokes insecurity in Middle East

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar says the presence of US and NATO forces in the Middle East has fueled insecurity in the region.

“Several years of US presence in Iraq and NATO in Afghanistan has not only failed to contribute to the establishment of security in the region, but has led to further insecurity,” Mohammad-Najjar said on Monday.

The Iranian minister made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik after they signed a security agreement in Tehran on Monday.

the Establishment of sustainable security and stability in the region, joint security measures against bandits and drug traffickers, expansion of bilateral relations, boosting border security, fight against arms and human trafficking and exchange of security information between the two countries are the issues included in the Iran-Pakistan security agreement, Mohammad-Najjar said.

Pointing to the religious, historical and cultural commonalities between Iran and Pakistan, Mohammad-Najjar said “The two countries are seriously interested in increasing bilateral cooperation and the Iranian and Pakistani governments and officials should prepare the ground for the expansion of ties.”

The Iranian minister also expressed condolences over the death of scores of Pakistanis in a recent terrorist attack carried out in southwestern Pakistan.

These criminal acts are not in line with the interests of Pakistan and only serve the evil objectives of the enemies of Muslims, he added.

The attack took place in a crowded vegetable market in the town of Hazara, on the outskirts of Quetta in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, on Saturday. The area is mostly inhabited by Muslims.

According to the latest reports, 84 people were killed in the attack and around 200 others were wounded.