Iran says maneuvers will not be a worry

TEHRAN, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Iran says it is not concerned about the military maneuvers planned in the Persian Gulf by the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Australia and Bahrain.

Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told reporters, "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not accept threats. Iran is a strong and powerful state and will not take maneuvers as a threat," reports the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The maneuvers are planned for next week.

Separately, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said security cooperation between members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and Iran and Iraq will be the best way to guarantee peace in the region. Besides Bahrain, other PGCC members are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

In his remarks, Elham, when asked about a bill in Iranian parliament to fingerprint U.S. citizens entering Iran, would only say the government policy is to encourage interaction among nations.