Iran Blasts Powers, Regional Allies for Instrumental Use of Terrorism

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the world powers for using terrorism and extremism as a tool to attain their goals.

 “The developments in the past three years, specially injecting violence and extremism into the Iraqi and Syrian territories, were aimed at nothing but overlapping the interests of certain international and regional actors through making an instrumental use of violence and extremism,” Zarif said, addressing the closing ceremony of the first international conference on ‘World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE)’ in Tehran on Wednesday. 

He, meantime, added that the instrumental use of terrorism and extremism has backfired and those who initiated such moves have now come to realize that they have endangered themselves more than others.

Yet, Zarif welcomed the change of views in this regard as “important” and “positive”, and said but the attitude of  certain states shows that after wasting a huge amount of money they still have hopes for using more funds to this end to meet their short-term interests or even for the sake of personal vengeance.

In relevant remarks early in November, Zarif lashed out at certain countries for using extremist groups as an instrument to achieve their goals, warning that the measure would be followed by the spread of terrorism to the entire world.

Addressing the 4th Ministerial Conference of Istanbul Process on Afghanistan in the Chinese capital city of Beijing, Zarif blamed foreign political meddling for the spread of terrorism, growing extremism and drug trafficking in the region, and said, “This phenomenon is not just a threat to the people of our country and the region, but the grounds will also be paved for its spread to outside the region.”

“Unfortunately, these growing threats have created improper conditions for some regional states and most of these problems find their roots outside the region,” he added.

Zarif lambasted certain states for their instrumental use of extremist groups and their emphasis on the use of pressure and military force as a danger to regional security, and called for cooperation and assistance of all the world countries to the regional nations which are entangled in problems resulted from terrorism and extremism.

FNA

R.S