A senior Iranian diplomat has expressed skepticism about sincerity of the US in its campaign to form a so-called coalition against terrorism in the Middle East.
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“From the outset of the Syrian crisis, we told the West that supporting terrorism threatens the global security and the al-Qaeda-linked groups have become more adept after over a decade of terrorist operations in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said at a meeting with head of the Kenyan Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Mohamed Yusuf Haji in Tehran.
“They (terrorists) are capable of conducting dangerous terrorist operations at any location across the world. The US has realized this issue and called for cooperation from Iran, but we are suspicious about their intention in fighting terrorism,” he added.
On Friday, Jeff Rathke, spokesman for the US Department of State, reportedly said the US diplomats have discussed the threat of ISIL Takfiri terrorists with Iranian envoys on the sidelines of the new round of nuclear talks in New York.
The news came as US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that Iran has “a role to play” in the campaign against ISIL, which is operating in Syria and Iraq.
The shift in Washington’s tone takes place despite opposition by the US to the participation of Iran in the so-called coalition against ISIL.
Under the US pressures, Iran was not invited to the International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq held in Paris last week, which aimed to address the issue of ISIL.
Iran, however, has repeatedly announced that it has no intention of participating in the so-called coalition against ISIL.
Amir-Abdollahian also pointed to ample potentials for the promotion of cooperation between Iran and Kenya and called for parliamentary consultations between the two countries to lay the groundwork for the enhancement of bilateral ties.
Haji, for his part, pointed to Iran’s scientific and technological achievements and expressed Kenya’s keenness to promote relations with Iran. /SR
