Iran sees Mideast security as own: Iran FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran considers the security of Middle East countries its own.

“We (regional countries) may have different opinions regarding developments in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, but we stress that the security of each and every country in the region is like our own security and we will work to boost this collective security,” said Zarif in a joint press conference with his Iraqi opposite number Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Baghdad on Monday.

The Iranian top diplomat further emphasized that Iran will continue to support Iraq’s ongoing fight against the ISIL Takfiri group, adding, “The Iranian government and nation will stand beside Iraq in the war against terrorism.”

He underlined that regional countries are linked through numerous commonalities, including religion, and added they should not allow terrorist and extremist groups to commit crimes in the region in the name of Islam and tarnish the image of this divine faith.

Iran’s diplomacy chief said Tehran stands ready to cooperate with Mideast countries to fight problems facing the region, including sectarianism.

Zarif also highlighted the significance of a recent breakthrough in talks between Iran and global powers on Tehran’s nuclear program, saying it has “resolved common problems with regional countries.”

“Now we can address our principal priority which is cooperation with neighboring and regional countries,” Zarif said, reiterating that Iran poses no threat to any country in the region.

On July 14, Iran and P5+1 – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – finalized the text of an agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

Under JCPOA, limits are put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for a set of commitments by P5+1, including the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.

Zarif said the negotiations showed that interaction is superior to antagonism, adding that the cloud of Iran’s nuclear dispute that covered the Middle East has now cleared off.

For his part, the Iraqi foreign minister hailed the growing status of relations between Iran and Iraq, saying the two neighboring countries will continue to deepen their cooperation in various fields.

Jaafari said Iraq has done its utmost in the fight against terrorism, adding the Arab country is quite “proud” of its record in fighting ISIL.