US’ military presence in region cause tensions, fury among nations

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran's President emphasised the need for everyone to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, stressing that everyone should work for stability and security in the region.

Speaking with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on Sunday evening by telephone, President Hassan Rouhani extended condolences over the loss of a number of Swedish nationals in the Ukrainian jetliner crash, saying, "The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its investigations until the final results are reached and it will clearly inform public opinions about the results”.

The President described the sincere admittance of the Iranian Armed Forces about the cause of the Ukrainian jetliner crash immediately after the initial investigations as valuable and stated, "We must attempt to avoid such shocking events from happening anywhere in the world”.

Dr Rouhani emphasised that the US military presence in the region and the assassination of General Soleimani has caused tensions in the region and infuriated nations, adding, "We should all join hands and restore security to the region and allow peace to prevail in this region”.

The President referred to the fact that the issues of the region should be resolved only by regional countries thorough political ways and dialogue, saying, "The sovereignty of the countries should be respected”.

Dr Rouhani called the attack on Ain Assad Air Base completely legitimate under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter for Iran’s legitimate defence, adding, "The Americans are responsible for recent events in the region and we must all condemn US crimes in the region with a clear tone”.

During the phone call, the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven also expressed his heartfelt condolences over the loss of a number of Iranians in the plane crash and appreciated Iran for accepting responsibility for the crash, calling for transparent investigations to determine the cause of the crash and announced Sweden's readiness to participate.

He also said that tensions in the region have unprecedentedly exacerbated today, saying, "Everyone should exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries to establish stability and security”.

“Sweden, along with other EU countries, opposes escalation of tensions in the region and welcomes the development of relations and cooperation with Iran to promote regional stability and security,” said the Swedish PM.

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