TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Creation of sectarian and religious strife in the Middle East is a major strategy employed by hegemonic powers, the US in particular, for upsetting situation in the region, Iran�s defense minister said.

The US seeks to weaken regional countries, incite ethnic and religious rifts and fuel territorial disputes to create insecurity, tension and war in the region, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Seyran Ohanian, on the sidelines of an international security conference in Moscow.

�Today, the terrorist currents, backed by the US, Israel and some ignorant countries in the region, have created serious crises,� Dehqan deplored.

The Iranian minister also underlined that tackling major problems, particularly terrorism, requires interaction and cooperation among the regional states.

For his part, Ohanian hailed Iran for its unique, major role in the establishment of peace, security and stability in the region.

He also praised Iran�s efforts for peace and cessation of hostilities in the Caucasus.

After armed clashes between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan erupted earlier in April in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, Iran called on both sides to exercise restraint, and rejected any foreign interference in the settlement of regional conflicts.

A truce was later agreed at a meeting in Moscow between the chiefs of staff of the Azeri and Armenian militaries.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of Armenian military and separatists since a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 1994. Years of negotiations have brought little progress in resolving the dispute.

By Tasnim News Agency