Iran has accused the US of fuelling insecurity in the Middle East, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying Washington's political and security support for Israel has enabled it to act with impunity in the region.
"This region doesn't need players from outside and this development in itself must attract attention," Al Jazeera quoted Baghaei as saying at a news conference on Monday.
"The region must not be left under the illusion of achieving security through America; America is part of the lack of security in the region," he added.
Baghaei alleged that the US creates conditions that allow Israel to wage war without accountability.
ALSO READ: US Deploys 20 Warships In Hormuz Amid 'Semi-negotiations' With Iran, Redirects 55 Commercial Vessels
"The Americans are supporting the Zionist entity politically and on the security level; without the Americans, the Zionist entity will never be able to do what they did and continue their crimes," he said.
He further alleged that Israel's actions had gone without meaningful accountability, saying no one could hold them accountable or take them to court.
Asked whether the defence agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan could be seen as an "Islamic NATO", Baghaei rejected the idea of outside powers intervening in the region.
"We do not need any outside powers to intervene in our region," he said.
Baghaei acknowledged that tensions in the Middle East remained high but said Iran wanted countries in the region to strengthen collective security.
"The tension [in the region] is still there … but in cooperation with the countries of the region, we hope all countries learn the lesson to study the developments of the recent years well and to work hard to strengthen the collective security of our region," he said.
ALSO READ: No More Military Offensive On Iran? Trump Signals At Economic Pressure Amid Hormuz Blockade
During the news conference, Baghaei also paid tribute to journalists who had been killed in Iran, Lebanon and Palestine.
"During the last two years, we have lost so many of your colleagues in Iran, Lebanon and Palestine. They have lost their lives for the sake of doing their jobs. We have lost so many of our loved ones," he said.
"We send a big salute to all of our martyrs who have lost their lives for the sake of our country and for the sake of the mission of journalism," Baghaei added.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
