“We are well aware that the disputes are not over one person or one president or the coming to power of a particular faction in Syria; it goes beyond that and it is obvious that the West has plans for the whole region,” Rouhani said in address to top commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Monday.

“What has happened in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain are rings of a single chain of events which aims to impact the region and weaken the [anti-Israeli] resistance front,” the Iranian president added.

Rouhani said the West wrongly assumes that Iran seeks military control of the region, adding, however, that the country’s preeminent position in the region today is due to its superior discourse.

“Our discourse is one of fighting terrorism in the whole region,” the Iranian president said.

Describing foreign countries that have a military presence in the region as “uninvited guests,” Rouhani said they must leave, stop interfering in the regional countries and end their Iranophobia campaign.

Rouhani pointed to Iran's policy regarding Syria and said, “All our efforts are directed at restoring peace and stability to Syria, and we will accept whomever the Syrian citizens choose to run their country.”

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to a UN report, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.

RA/