Iranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf said on June 24 Iran is prepared to reach a
security agreement with Gulf states and to reinforce it through economic
cooperation to make the region safe for investors and to secure collective
protection against common enemies. He said Iran views the removal of foreign
military forces from the region as a strategic objective, argued that external
bases have fueled instability, and said a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important
to Iran as a ceasefire for Iran.
