TEHRAN —
Iran on Sunday said it has the
“right” to showcase its military equipment, after it was criticized by the US
for displaying military hardware at a Qatar defense show.
اضافة اعلان
“Iran, like any other country, has the right (…) to
upgrade its defense capabilities or to display these products... in friendly
and neighboring countries,” foreign ministry spokesman
Saeed Khatibzadeh was
quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.
He said extensive “US military presence in the
Persian Gulf” was more worrisome and had made the region “totally insecure”.
On Thursday, US state department spokesman Ned Price
warned of possible sanctions after Iranian military officials attended the Doha
Defense Show and exhibited some of the country’s military hardware.
“We are deeply disappointed and troubled by the
presence of Iranian military officials and reportedly Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps officers at the Doha Defense Show in Qatar,” Price
said.
“We utterly reject their presence at the show and
its maritime defense exhibit,” he added, describing Iran as “the biggest threat
to maritime stability in the
Gulf region”.
Iran had a large display of models of its aircraft,
missiles, and other military equipment at the show, which also featured a visit
by naval vessels of different countries and displays by some of the world’s
leading military shipbuilders.
Qatar is a close US ally, hosting the regional
headquarters of the
Pentagon’s Central Command at the Al-Udeid Air Base, and
permitting regular shore visits by US naval vessels patrolling the Gulf region.
Washington maintains strong sanctions on doing
business with the Iranian military and particularly the
Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is on a US terrorist list.
Khatibzadeh insisted Sunday that the Guards have a “key role
to play in enhancing the country’s defense capabilities”, including taking part
in showcasing “these achievements”.
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