ISIL product of foreign invasion in ME: Zarif

Zarif made the remarks during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Wednesday.

He said the states that took part in a Paris conference on the US-led coalition against the ISIL earlier this week, had supported the Takfiris in the past.

“We do not support foreign military involvement in the region,” Zarif said, adding, “As a principle, we don’t believe that injection of foreign forces – either air or ground – solves our problem.”

The Iranian foreign minister noted that Iran was the first country to take measures to help Iraq in the face of the Takfiri threat.

He called for a Syrian-led solution to the crisis in Iraq’s neighboring country.

The Takfiri terrorists currently control parts of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Izadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.

Zarif also commented about Iran’s nuclear energy program, slamming the United States for its obsession with sanctions against Tehran.

Iran has lived up to its obligations regarding the nuclear program and is determined to resolve the issue, he stated.

Last November, Tehran and the six countries signed an interim deal in Geneva, which took effect on January 20 and expired six months later. In July, Iran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 this year after they failed to reach common ground on a number of key issues.

Iran has planned bilateral meetings with the six major world powers on Tehran’s nuclear energy program. Zarif said earlier that the meetings would take place before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives in New York next week to attend the UN General Assembly.