Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 25
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that world powers would not be able to change the region's situations by sending more warships to the Gulf and nearby waters.
Larijani made the statements on the sidelines of the massive "Prophet Mohammad- 9" maritime drills held by Iran 's IRGC Naval Force in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA reported Feb. 25.
Prophet Mohammad 9 drills started in the presence of the Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani as well as commander of the IRGC Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari and high-ranking military commanders.
Rejecting the necessity for ultra-regional powers' military presence in the area, Larijani said that the Islamic Republic can share its military know-how with neighbor countries and that the countries can count on Iran 's military power.
He asserted that in cooperation with other littoral countries, Iran would be able to make the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman secure.
Larijani also noted that the Iranian parliament has paid special attention to the defense section in passing the national budget for the next Iranian fiscal year (starting Mar. 21).
On Feb. 24, the Iranian parliament passed a $1.2 billion budget for the country's defense. It was an improvement of a 1-billion-dollar bill proposed by the government.
Edited by CN