Americans unwelcome guests in Persian Gulf - Iranian MP

Head of the Iranian Majlis' National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi On Friday described the US as an "unwelcome guest" in the region who will be increasingly vulnerable in time of crises, Press TV reported.

The remarks came in response to the US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recent remarks regarding the American oldest US aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise.

Earlier this month on board of the USS Enterprise, Panetta told the crowd of 1,700 sailors that the 50-year-old ship is heading to the Persian Gulf region in a direct message to Tehran.

The USS Enterprise is the oldest active duty ship in the American naval fleet and its mission dates back to the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the Vietnam War.

"If such a move [sending warship to the Persian Gulf] is to convey a message, the Americans must be the ones receiving this message not Iran because the region belongs to us and other littoral states of the Persian Gulf," the lawmaker added.

Iran has repeatedly stated that American military deployments in the Persian Gulf destabilize the region.

The Islamic Republic has warned the West of the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world's oil shipments pass.

Iran's threats were issued in response to aggressive military build-up, covert war operations and proposed sanctions against the Iranian oil sector, coming from the US and its allies.