Iran has said recent remarks by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter show the “destabilizing policies and measures” of the US in the region persist.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham made the remark on Saturday in reaction to comments made by Carter in an interview with The Atlantic published on Friday.
Carter advised Arab nations to unite against Tehran and IS by bolstering their ground forces.
“If you look at where the Iranians are able to wield influence, they are in the game, on the ground,” he said.
He added that the reason why Persian Gulf states lack influence in the region, “is that they have weighted having high-end air-force fighter jets and so forth over the hard business of training and disciplining ground forces and special-operations forces.”
Afkham noted that Carter’s remarks clearly show America’s “destabilizing policies and measures in the region.”
She added that instead of requiring an answer from Iran, Carter’s remarks should be responded to by Arab countries in the region, because they are the ones who have been “humiliated and insulted.”
“These words show that from the US official’s point of view, Arab countries are even incapable of… using the weapons they need,” she said.
