Ghasemi:

US behind escalation of terror, instability in region

TEHRAN (defapress) – FM Spokesman Ghasemi said Tue. that CIA director’s anti-Iran accusations are ‘meddlesome’, adding that the US is the main culprit of escalation of instability and terrorism across the region and the world.

News ID: 68362

Date: 31 January 2018 - 11:32

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the “unfounded”, “meddlesome”, and “inexcusable” anti-Tehran accusations made by CIA Director Mike Pompeo in a sit-down BBC interview published late Tuesday, adding "the repeating of such cheap accusations is solely aimed at creating division among Muslim countries and nations in the region."

“Neighbors have always been and will be the first priority in Iran’s foreign policy,” Ghasemi said. “Iran respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all its neighbors, based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.”

He went on to voice Iran’s readiness for further cooperation with neighboring countries aimed at gaining a deeper mutual understanding, promoting peaceful coexistence, achieving collective security, and cementing friendly ties.

“Contrary to what the CIA director is trying to imply, it is the destabilizing and meddling presence of the US in the region and around the Iranian borders which is not only a threat to the interests of all regional countries, but also a major hindrance towards their coming together and a chance to settle their disputes and differences through diplomacy and dialogs,” Ghasemi said.

“The people of Iran and all other nations in the Middle East see the US as an aggressor whose presence in the region, as well as the covert and overt support for terrorist groups and occupiers, have brought them nothing but war, instability and insecurity,” Ghasemi concluded.