Iran “Pays the Most” in Fight against Terrorism, Shamkhani Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani underscored Tehran’s resolve to counter the spread of terrorism, saying that the country has paid the most in securing the region.
Despite the double-standard behaviors and unreal claims of certain countries, Iran has paid the most price in countering terrorism to provide sustainable security in the region, Shamkhani said in a Saturday meeting with the visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
Shamkhani further slammed the West for ignoring Iran’s warnings against supporting anti-Syrian terrorists, which led to the formation of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group, adding that the same thing is happening in Yemen now and this will further destabilize the region.
On March 26, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies began to militarily interfere in Yemen's internal affairs by launching deadly air strikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition, including military forces from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt, has killed hundreds of civilians so far.
Referring to crisis in Yemen, Shamkhani urged the implementation of a four-point peace plan proposed by Iran, which includes hammering out a ceasefire, sending humanitarian assistance to the people affected by violence, launching an intra-Yemeni dialog, and establishing an inclusive government with the participation of all Yemeni factions.
Bishop, for her part, highlighted Iran’s role in the battle against extremist and terrorist groups in the region and warned against the spread of terrorism.
Earlier on Saturday, the Australian official also held a meeting with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, during which the Iranian official criticized the international community's inaction on the ongoing catastrophe in Yemen, stressing that the crisis should be resolved politically not through bombing defenseless people.
Julie Bishop is Australia's highest-ranking official who has visited Iran in the past 12 years.
