Iran says capable to defend territory

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

1389/12/09
02-28-2011
15:47:36
News Code :8912-06174

TEHRAN (ISNA) - Iranian senior advisor to Commander-in-Chief Yahya Rahim-Safavi said on Monday the country is capable of defending its territory.

His remarks came following the UAE's probable claim for shifting naval line with Iran.

"The geopolitical field of the Persian Gulf will be at the heart of international and regional attention, tension and competition for the coming decades", Brigadier General Yahya Rahim-Safavi said in a geopolitical congress held in Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran.

Safavi continued, "the cross-regional powers' goals and interests are mostly the origin of these tensions", adding that the local competition between Iran and the Southern countries of Persian Gulf maybe the center of these strains."

"Any sort of decision by Persian Gulf neighboring states to create major changes in the southern coasts for political, security and economic goals may have adverse consequences on the whole ecosystem, political, security and economic issues."

Referring to the decision of United Arab Emirates (UAE) to create artificial islands (with tens of billions of dollars investments) and its consequences, he noted," we have to see what difficulties may arise because of the UAE's decision."

He added that building these islands may prolong the process of marking maritime borders between Iran and countries such as AUE which do not have specific marine borders.

Persian Gulf's prolonged tension will be another consequence of building the islands, according to Savafi.

He called for Iran to be serious on marking the remaining maritime border with the AUE.

Iran calls on permanent security in Persian Gulf which is achieved through coordination with southern friend Persian Gulf, the military official continued.