Iran Deplores French DM’s ‘Neocolonialist’ Ploy

In remarks on Monday, General Hatami deplored the meddlesome comments from a European defence official made at a recent conference in Manama.

The Iranian Defence Minister said the Western colonialism that reigned over the region a century ago and was forced out of the region after confrontation with the popular resistance now fancies returning to the region and seeks to milk a cow that US President Donald Trump has mentioned.

“But they (Westerners) should know that people of the region are vigilant and have not forgotten their cruelty and plundering, and that they (Westerners) cannot provoke them (people of region) with rhetoric,” General Hatami added.

There is no doubt that the US government’s soft and hard power has declined across the world, the Iranian Defence Minister noted, and advised his French counterpart to notice the statistics for the number of French nationals who joined the ISIL terrorist group and committed crimes in Syria and Iraq instead of pinning the blame on the others and making provocative comments that are meant to fulfill France’s financial interests.

The French defence minister should explain what positive role her country has played in the fight against the Takfiri ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq, the Iranian general underlined.

“The Takfiri terrorists in the region were defeated at the hands of the armed forces and people of Iraq and Syria and with the help and assistance from Iran and Russia, while the Western powers, including the US and others, did nothing against them other than attempts to manage those groups in their own favor,” the Iranian general stated.

He further slammed as “neocolonialist and irresponsible methods” the plans that the Western officials, including the French defence minister, have proposed for security in the region, saying, “The Western presence and meddling would further complicate the security conditions in the region, which have been already upset by the excessive demands of the US and the Zionist regime.”

The Iranian minister also advised the Western officials to abandon their meddlesome and hegemonic ploys and find a remedy for “the brain death of their own security institutions.”

General Hatami further pointed to the downing of an intruding American drone in the Iranian airspace, saying the powerful Armed Forces of Iran are capable of protecting the country’s territories and airspace.

Iran has spared no effort in recent years to ensure regional stability and security, will continue to strengthen its defence capabilities, and will contribute to the establishment of security in the region according to the Islamic teachings and the Islamic Republic’s policies, he added.

“The extra-regional powers and their opportunistic interference is the main reason for instability and insecurity in the region, and the regional countries have the needed capacity to ensure regional security within a cooperative framework, without interference from the alien powers,” he concluded.