Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the root cause of the West Asia region's problems is the presence of the United States and a number of European countries falsely claiming to advocate peace.

According to The Iran Project, Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with a group of Iranian elites, scientific talents and top ranks at the country’s university entrance exam, in the capital Tehran on Wednesday.

The meeting took place hours after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired a massive barrage of long-range missiles at the Israeli-occupied territories in reprisal for the illegal entity’s recent assassination of the top leaders and commanders of the resistance front.

“In our region, the root cause of problems, which leads to conflicts, wars, concerns and hostilities and such like, results from the presence of the same people who claim to advocate peace and tranquility in the region; that is America and some European countries,” the Leader said.

“If they get themselves out of this region, beyond a shadow of doubt, these conflicts, these wars, these clashes will come to a complete halt, and the countries of the region will be able to govern themselves, govern their region, and live together in peace, blessing and prosperity.”