'West does not understand Iran's logic'

Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei says the West does not understand the logic behind Iran's foreign policy.

"The main obstacle in relations between Iran and the West is the fact that Western countries don't understand the logic behind Iran's foreign policy," Rezaei said in a meeting with the Australian ambassador to Tehran, Marc Innes-Brown, on Tuesday.

Rezaei stated that the logic of Iran's foreign policy is based on defending the country's national interests, maintaining the principles of the Islamic Revolution, and opposing any and every form of hegemony.

"We always sought peace and stability in the [Middle East] region and the world, and we have not pursued any aggressive policy toward other countries while defending our rights," the Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying.

"Iran is not pursuing adventurism in its foreign policy, and the West, especially the US, should rectify their stance on Iran in order to resolve the issues," the Iranian official said.

Ambassador Innes-Brown said it is essential that Iran and the West take confidence-building measures.