Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the United States is either deliberately turning a blind eye to the reality of Iran’s fight against terrorism in the region or has been caught off-guard and worried by the territorial collapse of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group in the Middle East.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi made the statements on Thursday in reaction to recent remarks by US Vice President Mike Pence who accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East.
“The endless repetition of anti-Iran allegations by US officials indicates that they have either deliberately closed their eyes to the reality of the major defeat of IS in Iraq and Syria or are painfully blindsided and worried by the loss of the territory ... [IS] controlled ... in Iraq and Syria,” he said.
On Tuesday, Pence said the US administration would not tolerate what he called Tehran’s support for terrorism.
Qasemi pointed to Iran’s support for Iraq and Syria in their campaigns against IS and said no one could overlook Iran’s “positive and constructive role in fighting the scourge of terrorism in the region and the world.”
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