Tehran, Dec 4 (IANS)

Iranian foreign ministry said Tuesday that if the proposed security pact between the US and Afghanistan is signed it will have negative consequences for the region.

"Iran does not believe that the security agreement will be in the interests of the people and government of Afghanistan in the long run," Xinhua quoted foreign ministry's spokesperson Marzieh Afkham as saying in a press conference here.

"We hope that any decision will have long-term benefits for the Afghans," she said.

The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), if passed by the Afghanistan Loya Jirga assembly, will allow US troops to stay in the country after NATO withdraws from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign the agreement due to public disputes.

Iran has accused the presence of foreign forces as the source of violence and instability in its neighbouring countries.