Haley’s Anti-Iran Charges Denounced

Iran’s mission to the United Nations denounced as “baseless” the recent accusations by the US envoy to the world body against Iran and its role in Syria, saying the US itself has played an undeniable role in spreading terrorism and inciting instability in the Middle East. In a statement on Wednesday, Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for the Iranian UN mission, hit back at Nikki Haley, the US ambassador, for accusing Iran of using Syria as a front for political purposes, Tasnim News Agency reported. Addressing a UN Security Council debate on Syria on Wednesday, Haley described Syria as “a front for Iran, Hezbollah, and their allies to advance the irresponsible and dangerous agenda for the Middle East.” In response, the Iranian diplomat said the realities on the ground show that Iran has made genuine efforts to de-escalate tensions in Syria, while the US government has been obstructing Syria peace efforts. “The US government has been instrumental in the growth of Daesh [IS] and terrorism in the Middle East… Its misadventures and illegal interventions across the region, especially Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Syria, are destabilizing and have had disastrous consequences for these countries and the region.”