Iran renews call for regional security group

Tehran, Oct 29: Iran made a new call today for Gulf Arab states to form a group to maintain regional security, one day before a naval exercise in the Gulf involving the US and other navies.

US officials have said about 25 nations will take part in this week's exercise in international waters in the Gulf across from Iran, which is locked in a standoff with major powers over its nuclear programme. The exercise, starting on Monday, will involve stopping ships carrying nuclear materials.

''Our basic position is that the security of the region will be best preserved by the countries of this region,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a news conference when asked about the planned naval manoeuvres.

He said ''various officials have said that these war-games will not be against Iran''.

Hosseini said Iran had on several occasions called on Gulf Cooperation Council States, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, to create a group with Iran and Iraq and agree a ''collective security pact''.

The exercise will be hosted by Bahrain and involve vessels from the United States, France, Italy, Australia, Britain and Bahrain, officials said.

Iran, which has not had diplomatic ties with the United States since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution, has long called on US forces to leave the region.

Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab states have traditionally been wary of Shi'ite Muslim Iran's intentions in the region. The UAE has a long-running border dispute with Iran over three Gulf islands.

REUTERS