Iran Press/ Europe: The United States and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are seeking to increase their military presence in the North Pole while urging other countries to refrain from militarizing the region.
According to the report, the US Department of Defense claims that Russia is the biggest rival of NATO and an obstacle to the goals of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the North Pole.
Russia occupies 53% of the Arctic coast and, with about two million people, is the most populous part of the Arctic and about half of the region's population.
In addition, Russia controls the North Sea route, which is the shortest sea route from Europe to Asia, and almost all of it passes through Russian territorial waters or its exclusive economic zone.
Under Russian law, the North Sea Route is a national transportation corridor, but the United States claims it is a free international transit strait. 219
