TEHRAN - Any security plan for the Persian Gulf region devised without Iran’s participation would be illegitimate, according to the chairman of Iran’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Such plans can never counter the threats to regional countries posed by extra-regional states, Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said in Tehran on Friday.
He made the remarks in response to attempts by some countries to draft security pacts in the Persian Gulf region without taking Iran’s strategic position into consideration.
The move has been taken under the influence of the United States and other extra-regional countries, he noted.
The major powers seek to sell their arms to Persian Gulf littoral states, under the pretext that those countries need the weaponry to counter regional threats, in order to address their own economic problems, he added.
Through these acts, certain countries are seeking to sow discord between Muslim countries in the region, promote Iranophobia, and earn great profits for their arms companies, Firouzabadi stated.
“The lack of trust among regional nations and the refusal of some of these countries to sign comprehensive and multilateral regional pacts have compelled them (regional nations) to appeal to major and extra-regional powers to pursue their interests and goals and maintain their security,” and this situation will create tension in the region, he noted.