US troop move to Middle East 'extremely dangerous': Zarif
A US move to send more troops to the Middle East after accusing Tehran of being behind attacks on tankers in the region is "extremely dangerous ... [for] international peace", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying.
"Increased US presence in our region is extremely dangerous and it threatens international peace and security, and this should be addressed," Zarif said on Saturday.
The United States on Friday announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defences against Tehran as it accused the Iran's Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month's tanker attacks.
On May 12, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said four commercial ships off the coast of Fujairah, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs, "were subjected to sabotage operations".
The attack caused "significant damage to the structure of the two vessels", according to Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih.
US officials said initial assessments suggested Iran was involved in the attack, without offering evidence to the claim. Iran has denied it had anything to do with the incident.
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