Iranian Supreme Leader's Senior Advisor for Military Affairs Major-General Yahya Rahim Safavi reacted to the United Arab Emirates' recent decision on constructing new islands in the Persian Gulf waters.
Any move by the UAE to extend its territorial areas and approach the Iranian borderlands would only lead to "further complication of the existing disputes between the two states,' Safavi said in an address to a local gathering in Tehran, IRNA reported.
He made the remarks while he was commenting on the decision made by the UAE to construct artificial islands in the Persian Gulf waters and extend its territorial areas.
"Constructing of the islands would more complicate the present disputes between Iran and the UAE and would also lead to severance of bilateral ties between the regional states," Safavi said.
He stressed, "Iran has enough power to defend itself," if the UAE was after taking advantage of the presence of foreign powers in the region to solve its problems.
"Any prolonged presence of foreign powers in the Persian Gulf region would only result in their further interference in the internal affairs of the regional states," said the major-general.
He stressed that any changes in marine borders between Iran and the UAE would be against law and international conventions and would also damage regional ecosystems.