Iran asks British troops leave Basra

Beirut, 17 Feb. (AKI) - Iran's foreign minister called on Britain on Friday to pull its troops out of the southern Iraqi city of Basra because their presence was destabilising the city. "The Islamic republic of Iran demands the immediate withdrawal of British troops from Basra," Manouchehr Mottaki said during a visit to Beirut. "British military forces in Basra have led to the destabilisation of the security situation in the city," he said, adding that the British presence has also had a negative impact on the security situation in southern Iran.

There are currently 8,000 British soldiers in the southern Iraqi region bordering Iran. The city of Basra is on the Shatt al-Arab river, which constitutes the natural border between Iraq and Iran.

Mottaki was apparently referring to a spate of recent bomb attacks in southern Iran.

Tehran has accused British troops in Iraq of helping bombers who killed eight people in attacks in January. He has also claimed human rights violations by British troops in Basra.

The Iranian foreign minister has already called for "the end of the US occupation" in the Arab country and said that the US allegations on Tehran's nuclear programme were "lies".

The spokesman of the British embassy to Beirut declined to comment on Mottaki's statements.