The memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the US to end the war is "a declaration of America's defeat", said the head of the Iranian negotiating team, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
"The Islamabad memorandum of understanding is not the result of pressure or coercion, but rather the resistance and determination of the brave Iranian nation", he said, referring to the text signed last week thanks to the mediation of Pakistan.
"That is why (this agreement) has acquired the meaning of a declaration of defeat for America", the influential Iranian politician stressed, adding that from now on, security in the Middle East must be guaranteed by the countries in the region.
"We consider the withdrawal of foreign forces from the region a strategic goal," Bagher Ghalibaf stressed. "Instead of creating lasting security, they are a source of instability," the speaker of the Iranian parliament insisted during a conference in Baku broadcast on Iranian television.
The United States has numerous military bases in the Middle East. The countries on whose territory they are located were the target of Iranian drone and missile attacks during the war in response to the bombing of Iran by the US and Israeli armed forces, AFP recalls.
"We see the future of the region not in confrontation but in cooperation", said Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a statement that resembled an outstretched hand to the neighboring Persian Gulf countries.
The chief negotiator for the talks with the United States also reiterated that peace in Lebanon is a fundamental element for reaching a final agreement with Washington.
"For us, the ceasefire in Lebanon was and remains as important as the ceasefire in Iran, and the end of the war in Lebanon was as important as the end of the war in Iran," he stressed.