U.S. stealth fighters cannot ensure regional security, says Iranian MP

TEHRAN, April 30 (MNA) – MP Esmaeil Kowsari of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said on Saturday that only regional countries, and not the United States, can guarantee security in the region. Kowsari made the remarks in response to the fact that U.S. most sophisticated stealth jet fighters, known as F-22 Raptors, have been quietly deployed to Al Dafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. However, he said, the deployment of U.S. fighters in the region is not something unusual because the U.S. has many bases in the region and the base in the UAE is one of them. Iranian MP Kazem Jalali said that the deployment of U.S. fighters is a U.S.-Israel plot to create regional instability. Speaking to ABC News, Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. John Dorrian did not confirm the exact location of the F-22s, but said that they had been deployed to a base in Southwest Asia -- a region that includes the UAE. Dorrian also stressed that the F-22s were simply taking part in a scheduled deployment and are “not a threat to Iran.” “This is a very normal deployment to strengthen military relationships, promote sovereign and regional security, improve combined tactical air operations and enhance interoperability of forces,” Dorrian said. The F-22 has only been in the UAE once before for training missions in 2009 with “coalition partners.”