Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that countries in the region should ensure their own security, stressing that Iran was ready to help achieve this. He made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the Martyr Seyyed Kamal Kharrazi Document Center and Museum in Tehran.
Araghchi added that "US bases had failed to provide security for the host countries," calling for an end to foreign military presence in the region. He said foreign forces primarily protect their own interests, foremost among them Israel's security.
The Iranian minister cited data he said had been issued by the US Defense Department, noting that most US bases in the region had sustained damage and hundreds of facilities had been destroyed. He added that the United States had lost more than 80 aircraft, most of which were struck on the ground.
"The war must stop everywhere"
Araghchi stressed that the war must stop on all fronts, saying peace cannot be expected in one part of the region while war continues in another. He assigned Israel primary responsibility for the region's instability and called for the region to move toward stability without foreign forces.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi said the strait's status would not return to what it was before.

Araghchi's remarks came as US President Donald Trump said Washington could strike Iran or reach an agreement with it, while the Iranian military announced Sunday morning that it had shot down a US drone over the city of Bandar Abbas.