Arms, financial supply to terrorists must be blocked: Iran’s Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has described terrorism as a serious threat to the entire world, including Europe, calling for measures to stop financial and arms supply to terrorists.

The Iranian president made the remarks in a meeting with visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Tehran on Wednesday.

Rouhani further pointed to the landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the UK, the US, France, Russia and China — plus Germany, noting that the precise and immediate implementation of the deal serves the interests of both sides.

“The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), as a successful model, has prepared a very good condition in the international area for dialogue and interaction on other issues. We should try to utilize this win-win equation for the resolution of other regional issues,” Rouhani pointed out.

He added that Iran has a great deal of opportunities available in the fields of industry, mining, energy, railway transport and tourism, and that Berlin can seize the opportunity to have a more active business cooperation with Tehran.

The German official, for his part, underscored the need for a concerted campaign against terror, stating that the root causes of the menace must be explored and addressed.

He also called for further promotion of Tehran-Berlin ties following the implementation of the JCPOA which started on January 16.

Earlier in the day, Steinmeir also held a meeting with Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani, during which the Iranian official expressed concern over growing tensions in the Middle East and criticized some regional states over their role in fomenting regional conflicts.

Larijani also said Saudi Arabia’s military adventurism in the region will fail just like US military aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq.

Steinmeir, for his part, voiced concern over growing tensions and crises in the Middle East, stating that Berlin and Tehran are eager to help resolution of regional issues.

The German foreign minister also condemned attempts to derail the ongoing Syria peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, warning that the negotiations would fail if Syrian opposition groups do not put aside their differences to reach a consensus.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which flared in March 2011, has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 260,000 people and left over one million injured.

The UN says 12.2 million people, including more than 5.6 million children, remain in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria. The violence has also displaced 7.6 million people.