Iran’s President: US Invasions, Support for ‘Zionist Regime’ Provide Terrorists With Excuses for Their Crimes
(CNSNews.com) – U.S. intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan, and America’s support for Israel, provide terrorists with an excuse to carry out their crimes in the region, Iranian President Hasan Rouhani said in his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Monday.
Alluding to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Rouhani described the attempt by terror organizations to become terror states “the gravest and most important threat to the world today,” and called for the formation of a “united front against extremism and violence” to counter the threat.
His speech called for international cooperation for regional stability, building on the foundation of the recently-concluded nuclear agreement with six nuclear powers. But Rouhani also used the opportunity to reiterate the regime’s view of U.S. regional policies and its enmity towards Israel.
“We must not forget that the roots of today’s wars, destruction and terror, can be found in the occupation, invasion and military intervention of yesterday,” he said.
“If we did not have the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the United States’ unwarranted support for the inhumane actions of the Zionist regime against the oppressed nation of Palestine, today the terrorists would not have an excuse for the justification of their crimes,” Rouhani said.
He also accused the U.S. government of “throwing about baseless accusations and pursuing other dangerous policies in defense of its regional allies, who only cultivate the seeds of division and extremism.”
The Iranian president characterized Iran as a proud and noble country that had been unfairly victimized by sanctions, negotiated honorably to reach a nuclear deal that upheld its rights, and was now ready to lead in establishing a new order of stability in the region, based on “mutual respect” and “non-intervention in the internal affairs of others.”
“We are prepared to assist in the eradication of terrorism and in paving the way for democracy, and ensuring that arms do not dictate the course of event in the region,” he said.
“As we aided the establishment of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are prepared to help bring about democracy in Syria and also Yemen.”
That offer and those claims contrast sharply with Western assessments of present and past Iranian activity in the region, particularly its arming of and support for violent actors.
The U.S. military has accused Iran of responsibility [1] for the deaths of around 500 American troops in Iraq, and of covertly supporting the Taliban insurgency [2] in Afghanistan
Iran’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has drawn strong criticism from the U.S. and Sunni Arab states, while the latter also accuse Iran of backing the Shi’ite Houthi rebels who have been fighting to control Yemen – even as Saudi-led airstrikes targeting the rebels are taking a heavy toll on Yemeni civilians too.
Rouhani’s offer “to assist in the eradication of terrorism” came not long after President Obama, speaking at the same podium on Monday, said that Iran “continues to deploy violent proxies to advance its interests,” actions which Obama said “fuel sectarian conflict that endangers the entire region.”
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