Iranian Diplomat: Zionists Seeking to Turn Iraq into another Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Iranian foreign ministry official warned about a plot hatched by enemies of Iraq to spark a Syria-like condition in the Arab country, but at the same time noted that the Iraqi army and volunteer forces are capable enough to confront terrorism.
Speaking on Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Zionists together with certain countries and Takfiri (extremist) groups as well as remnants of the former Iraqi Ba'ath regime, are seeking to turn Iraq into another Syria.
The so called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, has captured areas on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border after seizing the Iraqi city of Mosul on June 10 and sweeping towards Baghdad.
In Syria, ISIL Takfiri militants have battled with government forces, wreaking havoc in the crisis-torn country.
Iraqi security forces have launched major offensives to retake control of the captured areas.
Pointing to Iraq's operation against Takfiri terrorists, Amir Abdollahian said, “Iraqi armed and volunteer forces will decisively put an end to all forms of terrorism in their country."
The Iranian diplomat also voiced Iran’s support for the anti-terrorism measures taken by all Iraqi people, including Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Amir Abdollahian censured Jordan for hosting official meetings of Takfiri militants, saying this would "not only fail to bring immunity for the country but would also place it on the path toward the abyss of insecurity."
The issue of regional security is not limited to a certain country, the Iranian diplomat said, adding, “The wrong move by some states in providing an opportunity for terrorists would endanger the whole region.”
Representatives from the ISIL terrorist group and Iraq’s former Ba’ath party as well as tribal figures attended a meeting in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on July 16 pledging to keep fighting until the seizure Baghdad.
