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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday said the Middle East does not need the United States to act as a “regional policeman”, as Iran and the US remain at war and vie for control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Pezeshkian made the remarks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in India during a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. His comments came as the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States has intensified tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway in the region.
Pezeshkian Calls For Regional Security
“We do not need a regional policeman: the territorial integrity and security of the region can only be guaranteed by its main players and the countries that comprise it,” Pezeshkian
said during his meeting with Anwar Ibrahim.
The Iranian president’s remarks reject the idea of the United States playing a policing or security role in the Middle East. Pezeshkian instead argued that the region’s security and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by the countries and principal players within the region.
Remarks Come On Sidelines Of BRICS Summit
Pezeshkian made the statement while attending the BRICS Summit in India, bringing the issue of regional security into discussions taking place during the gathering of the grouping’s member countries.
Iran is a full member of BRICS, while Malaysia is among the grouping’s partner countries. BRICS provides a platform for participating countries to discuss cooperation as well as key global and regional issues of mutual importance.
