Iran Urges End to Certain Regional States’ Supports for Terrorism
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham on Sunday called on certain regional countries to stop assisting terrorist groups and end the slaughter of Yemenis instead of making anti-Iran remarks.
In a press conference in Washington on Saturday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said US President Barack Obama had assured Saudi King Salman that the recent nuclear agreement prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and thus Riyadh is now satisfied with the deal.
"Now we have one less problem for the time being to deal with, with regards to Iran," al-Jubeir said, claiming, "We can now focus more intensely on the nefarious activities that Iran is engaged in the region."
In reaction to the remarks, Afkham said Iran’s neighbors had better end their policies of supporting extremist and terrorist groups, creating waves of displaced people in Syria and Iraq, and the slaughter of innocent Yemenis.
She further underscored the need for taking realistic and constructive stances to help maintain regional peace and security.
Insistence on wrong stances would result in nothing but a waste of opportunities for Middle Eastern states and delays in the resolution of regional crises, Afkham stressed.
She also reiterated Tehran’s preparedness for dialogue and cooperation, saying, “Iran has always considered the policy of good neighborliness and expansion of ties with all neighboring countries as a priority in its foreign policy, and has no conditions and limitations for deepening friendly relations with neighbors.”
Afkham further urged neighboring countries to choose dialogue over dangerous military games, reaffirming that in Iran’s view, dialogue and political solution are the best ways out of regional crises.
Saudi Arabia and its allies started their deadly attacks on Yemen on March 26, without a UN mandate, in a bid to restore power to the fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Civilians and Yemeni infrastructure have been the target of the Saudi aggression, which has created huge humanitarian problems in the impoverished country.
The Saudi airstrikes have claimed the lives of more than 4,500 Yemeni people so far while more than 7,000 others have been wounded, most of them civilians.
