Iran Asks U.S. and Other Western Countries to Leave Persian Gulf Security to Them

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the U.S. and other Western nations on Sunday that they should leave the Persian Gulf immediately. Speaking at an event in front of a sea of uniformed soldiers, Rouhani said that Iran would see to security in the region and “extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood” to other Persian Gulf nations. He added that Iran was “even ready to forgive their past mistakes,” according to the Associated Press. The harsh warning comes after the Trump administration announced it would be sending troops and weaponry to Saudi Arabia in response to a devastating attack on the kingdom’s oil assets last weekend. The U.S. has publicly blamed Iran for the attacks. “Those who want to link the region’s incidents to the Islamic Republic of Iran are lying like their past lies that have been revealed,” the Iranian president said. “Your presence has always been a calamity for this region and the farther you go from our region and our nations, the more security would come for our region.”