According to Mehr, Mohammad Taqi Asanlou, deputy operations of the Armed Forces General Staff and the Central Headquarters of Khatam al-Anbia, called for an end to the United States’ presence in the region and said that the U.S. presence in West Asia is a serious obstacle to establishing peace and stability.

Asanlou added that security cannot be bought or imported, and said that the Islamic Republic’s defensive capability is indigenous and technological, and that the country’s security is also based on support from the people.