Iran ‘will never initiate any conflict or tension’: Rouhani

Iran is closely monitoring US troops in the region, but will never initiate any conflict or tension, President Hassan Rouhani said in a phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Saturday.

Rouhani congratulated the Qatari Emir on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the official IRNA news agency.

“Iran is closely monitoring the movements of the Americans but will never initiate any conflict or tension in the region,” the agency reported Rouhani as saying to the Emir.

Rouhani and Sheikh Tamim “assessed the relations and cooperation between Tehran and Doha as positive and growing, and emphasized the need to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries,” IRNA said.

The Emir also congratulated the Iranian government and people on the advent of Ramadan and “stressed the need for all countries to work to prevent tensions in the region,” IRNA said.

The comments about conflict follow a statement by the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps on Thursday that Tehran would destroy US warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf. That came a day after US President Donald Trump warned Tehran over “harassment” of US vessels.

Earlier in the week, Iran launched a military satellite using ballistic missile technology which Britain said was “of significant concern” and inconsistent with a United Nations Security Council resolution.