Tehran, Dec 31 (IANS): "The United States is only fuelling insecurity in the Gulf through its presence in the strategic region," said Chairman of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri.

"The Americans have always sowed insecurity wherever they had a presence," Baqeri told reporters in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Sunday, according to Press TV.

He emphasized that the Gulf countries are capable of ensuring security on their own and the US presence in the region has only created insecurity, Xinhua reported.

On Saturday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had said that the US military presence in the Gulf is "illegal" and would create tension in the region.

Recent deployment of a US aircraft carrier to the Gulf would also add to the tensions, Zarif had said.

The US aircraft carrier, the John C Stennis, arrived in the oil-rich region on Dec 21 following the return of US sanctions on Iran's oil exports in November.

The US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May.