TEHRAN – Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan suggested on Thursday that it is a necessity to form a united front against the expansionist policies of the United States and its allies.

Dehqan made the remarks in a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.

He hailed Russia for not trusting the United States, saying Tehran and Moscow should insist on adopting policies to foil security threats facing them.

“We support Russia’s correct understanding at the strategic level that the U.S. government could not be a reliable friend and partner,” Press TV quoted Dehqan as saying.

He also hailed Moscow’s stance in appreciating the necessity for the establishment of a new global order.

For his part, the Russian defense minister called for expansion of ties between Tehran and Moscow, saying constructive relations between the two sides can play an important role in securing regional and global stability.

Shoygu touched upon a recent military agreement between Iran and Russia, calling it a significant foundation on which the two sides could expand their ties.

The Russian defense chief also lashed out at Western governments for imposing sanctions on sovereign states, describing them as tyrannical and against international regulations.

Shoygu further took a swipe at the United States for its unilateral policies across the world and called on all countries to work together closely to confront and foil Washington’s one-sided moves.

He then urged Russia, China and Iran to hold a joint summit in the near future to coordinate their policies for confronting common threats.

The two sides also agreed to examine all technical issues related to the S-300 air defense missile system in the coming months, so that it could be delivered to Tehran by the end of the current year.


---------Iranian defense minister predicts Saudis Arabia will face defeat in Yemen

Addressing an international security conference in Moscow on Thursday, Dehghan also said, “The Saudi government, which undertook this military invasion [of Yemen] with the help of America and Israel and intelligence help from some regional countries, not only will not achieve its own illegitimate goals, but has provided the grounds for its own collapse and irreparable failures and a fate similar to that of Saddam [Hussein] is awaiting it.”

Dehghan added, “The Saudi government should know that by supporting financially, logistically and by training of takfiris and terrorists in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Caucuses, and attacking Yemen while preventing humanitarian aid, will not turn it into an important country in the region.”

He said that Saudi Arabia will become an important country in the region when it can unite Muslims and bring together the different sects, given that they are the custodian of the two holy mosques in Islam.

MD/PA