Terrorism Facing Defeat in Mideast

President Hassan Rouhani said terrorism is on the verge of suffering an ultimate defeat in the Middle East, stressing the complementary role of diplomacy and resistance in defeating terrorists. Addressing the Iranian nation in a live televised speech on Sunday, the president stressed the importance of fighting terrorism as a major threat to the entire region and the world, Press TV reported. He said Iran enjoys “exceptional” security conditions in the Middle East, stressing that the highest level of security prevails across the country, even in its westernmost regions, bordering Iraq and Turkey that are gripped by grave security challenges. Rouhani said Iran has not withheld its support from any country demanding its assistance in the fight against terrorism, citing Iraq and Syria as instances. The chief executive noted that the Islamic Republic is strongly opposed to any bid to partition countries in the region, in a reference to efforts by certain powers to divide Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Rouhani said diplomacy is the final solution in crisis-hit countries, including Yemen and Syria, but added that terrorism must be simultaneously countered on the battlefield. He noted that diplomacy and resistance are two sides of the same coin, emphasizing that Iran has been helping Syria on both fronts. “The Islamic Republic provided assistance to the Syrian Army in the fight against terrorism and is also involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in the Arab country,” he said. Rouhani hoped that the upcoming Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana would be a positive step toward finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria.