A top advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution deplored the United States and its allies for aiding and abetting terrorist groups and provoking violence in the Middle East, and noted that extremism and violence will eventually fail and be defeated.
"The US and its western allies want to undermine the image of Islam in the world by inciting violence in the region," Ali Akbar Velayati said in reference to the brutal terrorist groups backed by the US and Saudi Arabia, including the so-called Islamic State.
Velayati made the statement Wednesday in a meeting with the deputy chief executive officer of Afghanistan, Haji Muhammad Mohaqiq, who was on an official visit to Tehran, ISNA reported.
During the meeting, Velayati who doubles as head of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council, expressed hope that bilateral ties would improve more than ever before in light of religious, cultural and linguistic commonalties between the two neighbors.
The Afghan politician censured the role of certain regional states in supporting terrors and said, "Saudi Arabia supports the IS and other terrorist groups for ideological reasons and Pakistan backs them for economic gain."
Mohaqiq lamented the fact that the medieval Taliban militia, enjoying the support of some regional powers, is involved in terrorist attacks in his impoverished country for over 25 years. He appealed to regional powers to take a serious action to eliminate the scourge of brutal extremist groups.
He urged countries affected by the brutality of the IS to unite and take "collective measures" in fighting the terrorists.
The official expressed concern over the spread of IS to Central Asia, including Afghanistan. According to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, an extremist group allied with IS has emerged as a potent force on the battlefield in northern Afghanistan, threatening to further destabilize the war-torn country and sow more instability throughout strategic region.
Pointing to Tehran's elevated status in the region after the July nuclear deal with the six world powers, Mohaqiq said, "With its enhanced position, the Islamic Republic can support Muslim countries in the region in the fight against the terrorist and extremist groups."
