A senior Iranian official said on Thursday that more U.S. troops in Iraq will lead to further insecurity in the violence-torn country, the official IRNA news agency reported.

U.S. President George W. Bush's decision to increase the number of U.S. military forces in Iraq "will only result in further insecurity and tension in that occupied country," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said.

In a prime-time televised speech Wednesday night, Bush said that he had ordered more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq, as part of his new Iraq strategy.

Hosseini said that Bush's new strategy for Iraq was intended to continue the U.S. occupation of that country and came as "an unpleasant present to the American people for the new Christian year."

He said that an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq would be the only way to solve Washington's "numerous problems" in that country.

In his speech announcing the new Iraq strategy, Bush also accused Iran of supporting attacks on American troops in Iraq and vowed to "disrupt" the attacks.

Hosseini dismissed the U.S. president's accusation, saying Washington was "seeking pretexts for its failed policies in the country."

He also lashed out at Bush's decision to deploy Patriot air defense systems to the region, saying the move was intended to bolster U.S. support for Israel.

"We and all world Muslims condemn such a move," Hosseini was quoted as saying.

Source: Xinhua