Iranian authorities have lashed out this Thursday at the meeting held by the commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Brad Cooper, with defense officials from a dozen countries in the region, considering it a "ploy" aimed at "hiding Washington's destabilizing policies and illegal behavior" in the Middle East.
"The United States has consistently demonstrated its absolute disregard for genuine peace and security in West Asia. These kinds of meetings are nothing more than a ploy, aimed at hiding the destabilizing policies and illegal behavior of the United States in the region," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei this Thursday in a social media post.
In the same vein, the spokesman urged neighboring countries to "remain vigilant" and "draw clear lessons" from what is happening in the Middle East, after denouncing that the "military aggressions and malicious acts" of the United States and Israel have violated "regional peace and security."
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also commented on the meeting, questioning the supposed benefits of the U.S. military presence in the Middle East. "Has CENTCOM brought security or insecurity to our region? The answer is clear," he stated on his social media.
The head of Iranian diplomacy also stressed that the country's Armed Forces "have shown that foreigners are not even capable of protecting themselves" and argued that "peace" in the area "can only be maintained if it is comprehensive and inclusive, without external interference."
As reported by CENTCOM itself, Cooper held a meeting on Wednesday with senior military officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen.
In the meeting, the military officials analyzed the current state of regional security and "opportunities" to "improve" defense cooperation, while, according to the U.S. command's statement, they "underscored their common commitment to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz."