US not a trustworthy partner, Jalili tells Afghan official

Secretary of Iran Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili has held talks with Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Ershad Ahmadi on bilateral ties, insisting that the US is not a trustworthy partner.

“The nature of US policies in the region indicates that it (US) is opposed to unity, stability and progress in the Muslim world,” Jalili further said in a meeting with the visiting Afghan official in Tehran on Tuesday.

“For the international community, particularly the people of the region [stretching] from Afghanistan to Egypt, the US claims of opposing terrorism and favoring democracy have more than ever been proven to be false,” added Jalili, who represents Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in SNSC.

He noted that “supporting terrorism and opposing democracy” form the foundation of US policy in the region.

Jalili also pointed to deep-rooted cultural commonalities between Iran and Afghanistan and underlined the need for broader mutual ties in various sectors.

The Afghan official, for his part, heaped praise on the Iranian government and nation for their sincere support for the Afghan people throughout years of hardship.

He further expressed optimism that cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan would further expand following the complete withdrawal of Western forces from the region.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of the so-called war on terror.