Iran warns Gulf countries over US presence in region

Tehran/Riyadh:  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Gulf countries yesterday against the US presence in the region, saying Washington aimed to dominate their energy resources in the name of fighting terrorism.

Iran opposes the US military presence on its borders in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf, saying Western military intervention is the root of insecurity in the region.

"We warn the countries in the region over the presence of bullying powers ... they have not come here to restore security or to counter drug trafficking," Ahmadinejad said in a speech during a visit to the southern province of Hormuzgan.

The hardline president accused the West of planning to dominate energy resources in the Gulf and said: "People in the region will cut off their hands from the Gulf's oil."

Tension between Iran and the West has risen over the Islamic state's nuclear programme, with Western powers calling for a fourth round of UN sanctions over Tehran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

The West suspects Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran says it plans only civilian nuclear facilities.

On Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates appealed for Saudi Arabia's help in rallying support for tougher United Nations sanctions against Iran and urged other partner nations in the Arabian Gulf to strengthen their militaries.

Gates met with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud after arriving in Riyadh on Wednesday from Afghanistan, as the Obama administration shifts from engagement to pressure intended to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

The visit by Gates to the kingdom is intended to project the impression that partners in the region are closing ranks in opposition to Iran's nuclear and missile development and its support of terrorist groups such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Gates aims to demonstrate that Iran's military buildup in defiance of international demands won't make the country more secure and may backfire.

The Saudis seemed to be supportive of the US shift, according to an American defence official who briefed reporters on Gates's meetings on condition of anonymity.

The visit by Gates to the kingdom is intended to project the impression that partners in the region are closing ranks in opposition to Iran's nuclear and missile development and its support of terrorist groups such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Gates aims to demonstrate that Iran's military buildup in defiance of international demands won't make the country more secure and may backfire.

Weapons purchases by U.S.-allied Arabian Gulf nations have grown in recent years, along with joint military training and exercises, according to an American defense official who briefed reporters before the trip.