Iran closely monitoring U.S. movements in the region: Iranian army chief

TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) – Army Commander Ahmadreza Pourdastan said on Monday that Iranian military forces are closely monitoring and examining the movements of U.S. troops in the region. Pourdastan also said that there is evidence that the United States is planning for a long-term presence in the Middle East, adding that the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq seems to be the result a change in the U.S. military strategy. The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending nearly nine years of war that cost over one million Iraqi and 4,500 American lives and left the Middle East country grappling with extremism, sectarianism, and terrorism. “The establishment of military bases in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, the substantial presence of them in Afghanistan, and the relocation of forces from Iraq to Kuwait are among reasons and evidence that show these forces have come to the region for a long-term presence,” Pourdastan explained. The U.S. is withdrawing its troops from Iraq because it is bound by security and military agreements with the Iraqi government to leave the country, but in fact they are willing to maintain a military presence in the region so that they can control energy transit routes, the senior commander stated. “The Americans may have envisaged military approaches in their long-term plans, which necessitate the presence of these forces,” he added.