In a televised speech today marking the anniversary of the start of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Rouhani said Iran extends its “hand of friendship and brotherhood” towards countries in the region willing to cooperate in the Tehran-led effort to oversee security in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a vital gateway for the global oil industry.
Rouhani however, in response to a recent decision by the United States to send more troops to the area, went on to warn against the presence of foreign forces in the Gulf.
