US troop move to Middle East dangerous- Minister

A US move to send troops to the Middle East after accusing Tehran of being behind attacks on tankersin the region is “extremely dangerous … (for) international peace”, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying.

“Increased US presence in our region is extremely dangerous and it threatens international peace and security, and this should be addressed,” state news agency IRNA quoted Zarif as saying on Saturday.

The US on Friday announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defences against Tehran as it accused the Iran‘s Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month’s tanker attacks.

On May 12, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said four commercial ships off the coast of Fujairah, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs, “were subjected to sabotage operations”.

The attack caused “significant damage to the structure of the two vessels”, according to Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Khalid al-Falih.