Iran official urges collective efforts against terrorism

A senior Iranian official has reiterated the Islamic Republic’s firm determination to fight terrorism, calling for concerted efforts by the international community to uproot the scourge.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran acts authoritatively against terrorism; but a fundamental fight against this evil phenomenon necessitates collective cooperation and observing international laws,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday.

The Iranian official made the remarks in a meeting with the head of Africa, Asia/Pacific and Latin America and the Middle East Division in the German Foreign Ministry, Clemens von Goetze, in Tehran, where both officials discussed the latest developments of West Asia and the Middle East.

The Iranian official criticized certain countries for supporting terrorism, saying “the nationals of more than 108 countries are today present among the terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq.”

He also said training and arming “the moderate opposition” is a mistake that “drives us farther away from a political settlement” of the Syrian conflict.

The German official, for his part, hailed the efforts by the Islamic Republic in fighting terrorism and called for further consultations between Iran and Germany in this regard.

He emphasized the necessity of finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria as the only way to end the violence in the Arab country.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. The Western powers and their regional allies, especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are reportedly supporting the militants operating in the country.