Tehran denies involv­ement in oil tanker attack­s, urges US forces to leave the region­President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday Iran would not wage war against any nation, sounding a note of restraint after the United States announced more troop deployments to the Middle East. Its top diplomat warned that the world should not open a “Pandora’s Box” in the Middle East, as he denounced US pressure on Iran and called on it not to drop out of the landmark nuclear deal. “Iran will not wage war against any nation,” Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state TV. The nuclear deal seeks to head off any pathway to an Iranian nuclear bomb in return for the removal of most international sanctions. Pompeo said on Sunday the United States did not want to go to war with Iran but would take every action necessary, including diplomacy, to guarantee safe navigation through Middle East shipping lanes.

Source: The Express Tribune June 18, 2019 07:18 UTC