Tehran has expressed outrage at US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s pledge to obstruct Iran’s arms purchases, describing it as “provocative” and an attempt to “stir up differences” between countries in the region. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that Iran’s military program was “merely for defense and deterrence”, and not against any country that does not intend to attack Iran. On Thursday, Blinken pledged to obstruct Iran’s quest to engage in the arms market, accusing Tehran of “destabilization” attempts. He was referring to a new set of sanctions imposed last Wednesday by the US administration on an international network of companies that are circumventing sanctions aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining spare parts for drones. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized the US sanctions, saying: “The provocative statements of the US Secretary of State regarding the Iranian military program aim to continue marketing US weapons.” He accused Washington of “seeking to consolidate the failed project of intimidation against Iran, and stir up disputes between the countries of the region.” “Contrary to the irresponsible statements, the Islamic Republic has always underscored the need for good neighborliness, dialogue, contribution and cooperation to guarantee security and joint interests of the regional countries away from foreign interventions,” Kanaani added. He noted that developments that are moving forward “come in this context,” referring to Iran’s improving relations with a number of countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia. Kanaani also blamed what he called the “ill-considered and wrong actions” of the United States for “insecurity and instability in the region for decades.” “It is in the interest of this country to abandon its wrong, interventionist and irresponsible approaches to the issues of the countries of the region,” he emphasized. Last week, the Iranian army announced that it had obtained dozens of combat and reconnaissance drones. Mahmoud Mousavi, Deputy Chief of Army Operations, said that his forces were now able to plan to carry out drone attacks against distant targets.