MNA � Iranian Foreign Ministry reacted to the recent confrontation between IRGC and US forces in the Persian Gulf, condemning US illegal presence in the region.

�We principally consider foreigners and American presence in the region as provocative and illegal. This is our region and we have to ensure its security by carrying out patrols,� Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said on Monday in his weekly presser.

�As far as we know, American forces had blocked Iranian forces� patrol and they have received the response,� he added.

The remarks come in response to recent claims by the US Navy that 11 Iranian ships repeatedly came close to American military vessels in �dangerous and harassing approaches� in the Persian Gulf.

IRGC issued a statement on Sunday, noting that the main source of mischief and insecurity in the region is the illegal presence of US terrorist forces, reiterating the call for the full withdrawal of all American forces from the Persian Gulf and West Asia. "At the same time, the US Fifth Fleet, which is stationed in the region, offered an incorrect and purposeful narrative of this incident in its official statement, which signifies the interest of Americans in presenting a Hollywood-style account of what happened," reads part of the statement.

�We are responsible to secure the key Hormuz Strait waterway,� Mousavi said, adding, �Other forces should notice warnings and we advise them to leave the region sooner so that peace and stability would return.�