Rezaei urges Iran's contribution to Iraq, Syria economy

TEHRAN (defapress) – Secretary of the Expediency Council called for Iran's contribution to the economic development and restoration process of Syria and Iraq in the post-ISIL era.

News ID: 67528

Date: 16 December 2017 - 10:39

“At present, 40 percent of buildings in Syria are destroyed and require high reconstruction costs," Secretary of the Expediency Council and former IRGC commander, Mohsen Rezaei, said on Friday, while referring to the economic opportunities that have emerged after the defeat of ISIL in Syria and Iraq.

"Today, we can easily access Syrian ports through railway and we need to increase production, improve technology and exploit mines," he added.

He went on to add, “the region we live in has always been a conflict zone between the East and the West and its fate has been defined by these two opposing poles.”

Having referred to the Soviet Union and the US as the former powers that ruled the region in various ways such as providing support for Saddam’s regime, he said “the Islamic Republic of Iran was the first government that did not succumb to the pressure of any of these powers and created ruptures in their monolithic structures.”

Highlighting the fact that the US intended to occupy Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria in an attempt to be close to Russia, Rezaei added “the US failed when revolutionary Muslims seized power in Iraq. Shia Muslims wielded power in Iraq and this country turned into a new center for Muslim uprisings.”

“When ISIL emerged, the US was both for and against it. They were willing to have the Iraqi regime toppled and today, after the Islamic Republic of Iran has defeated ISIL, a new zone has been created that is to the disadvantage of Americans. That is why Trump is looking for a new solution. Developments in Yemen have also increased Iran’s influence, and the Saudi and Israeli regimes are besieged by Iran’s allies,” Rezaei said.

Having stressed that Trump is after adopting antagonistic policies toward Iran in order to exert intense pressure on Iran within the four years to come, he said “Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US are the axes of this new plot which started with the controversy surrounding [Lebanese Prime Minister] Saad Hariri."

Mohsen Rezaei further asserted that the US hopes to bring Iran to its knees by undermining its economy and added “if we want to exercise authority in the region and overcome sanctions we need to pay greater attention to development of our economy.”