Manila, Aug 04: Iran today urged US troops to leave the Gulf region and rejected Washington's accusations that it is running a clandestine nuclear weapons programme. "Neither Iran nor the countries in the region... Feel comfortable with foreign troops in the region," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters on a visit to the Philippines.
"We hope the situation comes that the foreign troops, including the Americans, will leave ... because the security and stability of the region would be safeguarded by the countries in the region."
He said "the best remedy for the regional instability" is cooperation among the Gulf states.
Asefi also rejected US accusations that his country is involved in clandestine nuclear weapons programs, saying, ``We are not looking for any military nuclear activity.''
``That is out of the question. ... we are not thinking that way,'' he said. ``We are having a very good cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. We are ready to continue that.''
Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful, electrical power purposes, has said it would agree to unfettered inspections by the Vienna-based IAEA if it is granted access to advanced nuclear technology as provided for under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Tehran says Washington's influence is blocking that technology. Bureau Report