Iran urges joint efforts to fight terrorism, extremism

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has highlighted the significance of concerted efforts by all countries, especially those in the Persian Gulf region, to fight terrorism and extremism.

Zarif made the remarks in a Wednesday meeting with UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson in Tehran, where the top Iranian diplomat called on the world body and Western countries to take a firm stance against acts of terror.

He criticized the West’s double-standards regarding the ISIL militants in the Middle East region, underscoring the necessity for adopting a single approach in countering terrorism and extremism.

It is not acceptable to claim to be fighting ISIL terrorists in Iraq while supporting them in Syria, Zarif said.

The ISIL terrorists control large parts of Syria’s east and north. ISIL also sent its Takfiri militants into Iraq in June, seizing large swathes of land straddling the border between Syria and Iraq.

The terrorist group has committed heinous crimes, including the mass execution of people and beheading of their hostages.

Zarif also said that the Islamic Republic favors restoration of “peace and stability” in the region and “is fundamentally against terrorism and extremism.”

Eliasson, for his part, expressed regret over the incessant terrorist attacks in Iraq and Syria, saying that joint cooperation between regional countries can help settle the problems in the region.

The UN official further highlighted Iran’s role in the settlement of regional issues, calling for further consultations with the Islamic Republic in that regard.