‘Extra-regional forces’ harm regional security, Iranian general tells Armenian official

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Iran’s top military general said Wednesday that the presence of “extra-regional forces” is detrimental to security in the region.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, held talks in the capital Tehran with Armen Grigoryan, secretary of Armenia’s Security Council.

Bagheri was commenting on a 10-day joint military exercise between Armenia and the US dubbed the “Eagle Partner 2023” exercise that was completed last week.

The military drill that coincided with Azerbaijan’s launch of an antiterrorist operation in the Karabakh region included 85 US soldiers and 175 Armenians.

Bagheri said the presence of “non-regional force” is not in the interest of peace and stability in the region and “adds to the complexity and instability.”

He warned against “creating a crisis in the region” and emphasized that foreigners seek “divisions and unrest” in the region, calling on the regional countries to resolve their issues through dialogue.

The top military official emphasized that developments in the South Caucasus region affect regional security and called for the cessation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Bagheri said Iran is ready to send its observers to the Azerbaijan-Armenia borders.

On Monday, Grigoryan met with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, to discuss the situation in the South Caucasus region.

Ahmadian, his office said, cautioned that "any changes in the geopolitics of the region cause insecurity and instability and escalate crises."

It was followed by a meeting between Grigoryan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in which the two officials discussed the overall situation in the South Caucasus region.

In a related development, Khalaf Khalafov, a veteran diplomat and special aide of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, has arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials.

A delegation from Iran's Navy also arrived in Azerbaijan on Wednesday to attend the Caspian Sea 2023 naval exercise in an observer status.