Press TV - Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the Islamic Republic will spare no effort to boost its defense�and deterrent power.

"Our utmost effort is to strengthen the Islamic Republic of Iran's defense prowess and deterrent capability," Hatami said in a meeting with the Netherland's Ambassador to Tehran Susanna Terstal on Tuesday.

He added that Iran respects the independence, territorial integrity and national sovereignty of all countries.

He expressed Iran's keenness to promote defensive cooperation with the Netherlands given the two countries' long-term relations.

The Iranian defense minister further pointed to the ongoing crises and instability in the Middle East, which, he said, were the results of "interference by foreign powers" and said occupation, foreign meddling and double standard policies have led to the creation of the crises in the region.
"The Americans' confession to the formation of Daesh terrorist group and the management and transfer of this criminal group to the eastern parts of the region as well as the allocation of 550 million dollars to support terrorist groups by the US and to keep them operational indicate that country's serious meddling in regional stability to prolong insecurity there," Hatami pointed out.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian defense minister said the current human catastrophe in Yemen is the result of the international community's double standard policies.

He called on the Netherlands as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the UNSC's other members to stop Saudi Arabia's killing of innocent civilians in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi movement and reinstate former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of the Riyadh regime.

At least 13,600 people have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia�s campaign against Yemen. Much of the Arabian Peninsula country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

The United Nations says a record 22.2 million people are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.

Netherlands keen to develop defensive cooperation with Iran

The Netherland's envoy, for her part, said her country is keen to expand defensive cooperation with Iran.

Terstal added that Amsterdam seeks the establishment of peace and security across the world and noted that Dutch officials have carried out positive measures in this regard.