Terrorism Common Threat to Iran, Russia: Envoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei said terrorism is a common threat to both Tehran and Moscow, adding that extremism can be uprooted in the region only via joint efforts.
"Terrorism is the primary threat and the most important problem for Iran and Russia both in theory and in practice,” Sanaei told Sputnik on Tuesday.
He added, “That's why we consider that all the forces should be combined to tackle this issue and only after that (the countries could) be engaged in other problems. And there are the Western states that say in theory that terrorism is a problem, but in practice they sometimes have other priorities and plans. That's why the problem cannot be solved yet”.
He further urged the US to be more sincere in its fight against terrorism in the region, Syria in particular.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
In the meantime, Iran and Russia have remained close allies of Syria and support its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.
Tehran insists that the Syrian nation is the only side that has the right to shape the future of its own country, rejecting foreign intervention with the use of force.
