US, Iran sabre-rattling over troops in Gulf

He said Iran attached great importance to the security of the Gulf and considered security and cooperation among the countries in the region a must towards this end.

“The increased presence of foreign forces in the Gulf and the unchecked sales of weapons to the region are the main obstacles in the way of establishment of security,” he said.

During a tour of the West Asia this week, Cohen said one of the main challenges faced by the US today was the threat of instability in the Gulf, “where Iraq and Iran violate international norms of good behaviour.”

“Iraq’s refusal to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions, and its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction show that (President) Saddam Hussein remains a threat to peace and stability,” he said.

“Iran continues to sponsor terrorism and, in addition, is developing weapons of mass destruction, improving missiles that can strike neighbouring nations, and boasting of its ability to close the Strait of Hormuz,” Cohen said at a news conference in Bahrain on Tuesday. Tehran says that Washington is calling Iran a military threat to justify the deployment of more American troops in the Gulf. Cohen said Iran had, over the last few years, concentrated on developing a more robust anti-ship missile capability.

He said it had sharply increased training launches of sea launched cruise missiles. He also said iran had recently successfully tested an air launched anti-ship cruise missile.

“Iran’s words and actions suggest that it wants to be able to intimidate its neighbours and to interrupt commerce in the gulf. The United States will not allow this to happen,” he said.

He said the US was “hopeful but sceptical” that Iran would give up its support of “international terrorism’ after the recent elections in which moderate former culture minister Mohammed Khatami was elected as the next Iranian president. Iran denies it supports terrorism.

Cohen said Washington would not soften its hardline policy towards Tehran unless there were signs that it had changed its attitude towards the west and its opposition to the west Asia peace process.

Khatami’s election has raised hopes that Iran would change its tough policy towards the west.

“We remain hopeful but sceptical. For the time being our policy isgoing to remain constant,” Cohen was quoted as saying.

He said the US was not headed toward a clash with Iran unless Iran were to precipitate such action.

“Our policy is not to clash with Iran but rather to discourage and deter any action on their part that would seek to destabilise the region itself,” he said.

Cohen said there was no possibility of any reduction of US troops in the region as long as Iraq and Iran continued their present policies.