Afghanistan signs cooperation agreement with Iran amid tensions with U.S.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has agreed to sign a cooperation pact with Iran, despite continuing to resist signing a security agreement with the U.S.

Karzai made the deal with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Sunday.

According to Fox News, Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said that Afghanistan agreed on a long-term friendship and cooperation pact with Iran.

Faizi said that the pact would be for long-term political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, regional peace and security.

Afghanistan signed a cooperation pact with Iran in August covering mainly security issues, but Faizi said the proposed new agreement would have a broader scope, the report said.

Rouhani said that his country opposed the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan and the region.

He said that the troops presence generated tension.

According to the report, Rouhani told Karzai that all foreign forces should leave the region and that the security of Afghanistan should be handed over to people of the country.

Iran has long opposed a planned agreement to allow U.S. forces to remain stationed on its doorstep in neighboring Afghanistan, the report added.