Obama should change his strategy: Larijani

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 27 (MNA) -- Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has said that U.S. President Barack Obama should make fundamental changes in his strategies.

Larijani made the remarks at a press conference in Kuwait City on Wednesday.

Commenting on the joint military exercise held by the U.S. and Kuwait, which ended on January 26, the Iranian parliament speaker said, “Such maneuvers will have no effect on the United States’ influence in the region, and it would be better if Obama made efforts to fundamentally change his strategies.” Larijani said he discussed the exercise during his meetings with Kuwaiti officials.



Kuwaiti news agencies reported that the joint military exercise was held to enhance cooperation between the two countries.



The Iranian parliament speaker also stated that the U.S. is making efforts to undermine regional stability and security, and this has increased regional nations’ animosity toward the U.S.



U.S. policy toward Palestine has failed



The Obama administration’s policy toward Palestine has failed since the blockade of Gaza is still in place, settlement construction in the West Bank has not been halted, and Israel is putting more pressure on the Palestinian people, the Majlis speaker noted.



Despite the Obama administration’s rhetoric about change in the region, so far no sign of change can be seen, he said.



Larijani also called for unity among Islamic nations and urged them to take a firm stance against the Zionist regime and to support the Palestinian people.



He dismissed the allegations of Iranian interference in Iraq and Yemen and said that certain forces operating in the region, especially the United States and the Zionist regime, are seeking to create a rift between Iran and other regional states.



“The Americans have devised many conspiracies against us. They have assassinated our leaders and incited an Arab country to invade Iran,” he noted.



He also emphasized the importance of supporting the Islamic resistance movements Hamas and Hezbollah, adding that if Iran did not support these movements, Israel would dominate the region and Arab states would not be safe.



“We are proud to support Hamas and Hezbollah,” he said.



Commenting on Iran’s nuclear program, Larijani stated that the Islamic Republic is conducting its nuclear activities within the framework of International Atomic Energy Agency regulations and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.



He dismissed the concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, saying that some Western countries are putting pressure on Iran to make the country halt its peaceful nuclear program, but Iran has resisted their pressure.



“Instead of worrying about the Zionist regime, which has over 400 nuclear warheads, they worry about Iran,” he pointed out.



“Today we have acquired nuclear technology, and that is a great victory for all Islamic states,” he said.



He went on to say that the West is attempting to deprive all Islamic countries of their right to access to nuclear technology meant for peaceful purposes.



To illustrate his point, he noted that former EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana once said: “If we let you have access to nuclear technology, then we will have to let other Islamic countries in the region have their own nuclear programs, too.”



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