US Seeking to Increase Presence in Region Through Anti – ISIL Coalition , Says Rezayee
Tehran – Secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council (EC) Mohsen Rezayee underlined that the anti-ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) coalition is just a political showoff to provide a pretext for increased presence of the US and its allies in the region.
“The Americans intend to do the same task that the ISIL could not fulfill to interfere in the regional countries’ affairs,” Rezayee told FNA on Sunday.
For the same reason, there is a deep doubt if the Americans are serious about campaign against the ISIL, he said, and added, “The regional countries, including Iran, Iraq and Syria should join hands and destroy terrorism in a durable fight against terrorism.”
Asked about the requests made by the western countries from Iran to join the anti-ISIL coalition, Rezayee said, “The Americans are not showing an behavior as they want to say that Iran has compromised resistance against the US, while they have not given any privilege to Iran.”
On Saturday, a senior Iranian lawmaker said that the US is planning to renew its military presence in the Middle East region under the name of the anti-ISIL coalition.
Member of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mohammad Hassan Asafari noted that Washington and its allies are not serious about fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Takfiri terrorist group.
“The anti-ISIL coalition is not really meant for confrontation against the ISIL, rather these countries want to make up for their scandalous defeat in Syria under the guise of fight against the ISIL,” he added.
He noted that there is no serious drive behind the anti-ISIL coalition, and said, “If a serious fight is going to be carried out against the ISIL, it should include all terrorist groups and not a particular group which is supported by the US.”
Asafari reiterated that as long as the US does not stop its support for the terrorist groups, there cannot be a coalition against the terrorists.
Further underlining the hypocritical nature of the anti-ISIL coalition, the MP reminded that while Saudi Arabia has supplied the ISIL with some of its military hardware it is now a member of the coalition.
US anti – Daeshcoalition a suspicious scheme, says Kharrazi
On the other hand, Head of Foreign Relations Strategic Council Kamal Kharrazi said the US coalitions against the terrorist ISIL is a suspicious scheme.
He stressed that Iran played an active role in fighting the Daesh terrorist group.
Kharrazi, who also served as foreign minister under Mohammad Khatami administration, further noted that Iran’s strategy to combat the terrorist group was outlined by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
He said Iran rejected the US request for joining the so-called anti-Daesh coalition because it believed it was a suspicious move.
Some Western and Arab countries backed by the US first created Daesh but then started their so-called fighting against it, he added.
Kharrazi reiterated that Iran was just fulfilling its commitments in supporting Iraq and Syria.
FNA, IRNA
R.S