“We are against military expansion in the region and we think the presence of foreign forces will not contribute to stability but on the contrary, will be a factor of insecurity and instability,” foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a press conference.
France announced during a January visit to the UAE by President Nicolas Sarkozy that it would set up a military base in the capital Abu Dhabi to become operational in 2009.
Iran has been a vocal critic of the presence of foreign forces in the Gulf region, notably the US military, which has bases in several countries including Iraq.
