Published on FRANCE 24 (http://www.france24.com/en)
Gulf 'belongs to Iran': top military officer
By blade
Created 30/04/2011 - 19:32
A top Iranian military officer on Saturday denounced what he called an "Arab
dictatorial front" and claimed that the "Persian Gulf has belonged to Iran for
ever", media reports said.
"The Arab dictatorial regimes in the Persian Gulf are unable to contain the
popular uprisings," General Hassan Firouzabadi, the chief of staff of Iran's
armed forces, was widely quoted as saying by Iranian media on Saturday.
"Instead of trying and failing to open an unworkable front against Iran, these
dictators should relinquish power, end their savage crimes and let the people
determine their own future," Firouzabadi said.
He also denounced "plots" by the Gulf Arab petro-monarchies to "carve out an
identity for themselves by rejecting the identity of others," referring to Iran.
"The Persian Gulf has always, is and shall always belong to Iran," the general
said.
Firouzabadi, speaking on the annual "National Day of the Persian Gulf", also
condemned the regional Arab monarchies for refusing to call the waterway
between Iran and its Arab neighbours by its "historical name."
"With the arrival of the British and later the Americans in the region, plots
were hatched to try and change the name with fake identities... to distort the
history and identity of the Persian Gulf," Firouzabadi said.
Relations between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbours have deteriorated sharply,
with the latter accusing Tehran of seeking to destabilise Arab regimes in
favour of popular unrest that has erupted in many Arab countries.
Shiite-dominant Iran has strongly criticised Saudi Arabia's military
intervention in Sunni-ruled Bahrain aimed to help crack down on a Shiite-led
uprising there.
Iran says it gives "moral support" to Bahrainis but is not involved in the
protests there.
Bahrain and Kuwait have in turn expelled Iranian diplomats, accusing them of
espionage.
Iran has in the past claimed Bahrain as part of its territory, and it controls
three islands in the southern Gulf that are also claimed by the United Arab
Emirates.
* AFP
* Mid-East
Source URL:
http://www.france24.com/en/20110430-gulf-belongs-iran-top-military-officer
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