Iran capable of maintaining security in Persian Gulf - Ahmadinejad

The Iranian president says the country's military capacities and defensive capabilities have enabled the Islamic Republic to maintain stability and security in the Persian Gulf, Press TV reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, using regional potentials and forces, has the power to establish and stabilize security in the [Persian Gulf] region," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a ceremony honoring Iranian Navy forces in southern province of Hormuzgan on Saturday.

The president ruled out the presence of foreign military troops in the region and added, "Aliens, proclaiming [efforts] to establish security in the Persian Gulf, with any motivation and under any pretext whatsoever, can never achieve success."

The security of the Persian Gulf has been threatened at points only when outside militaries appeared in the region, otherwise the Persian Gulf has always enjoyed complete security, he stated.

Ahmadinejad highlighted Iran's respect for its neighbors' sovereignty and territorial integrity.


He said the Iranian nation has never been belligerent and never sought to dominate other nations, but that history has also proved they are perfect defendants who have inflected crushing responses to invaders.

Addressing the enemies, Ahmadinejad said those attempting to hinder Iran's progress had better "join the Iranian people and bow to the grandeur of this nation."

The Iranian president further hailed the country's navy forces and their superb capacities, and described their presence in international and free waters as a turning point in the country's history.