Spokeswoman rejects ‘baseless’ US claims about Iran’s regional role

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham on Tuesday dismissed as “baseless” recent claims by some US officials about Iran’s ‘destabilizing actions’ in the region, saying that Washington is the one that is in fact destabilizing the Middle East.

“Instability in the region has its roots in foreign intervention in regional affairs,” Afkham said, adding that foreign meddling has not only endangered security and stability, but also hindered “constructive and deep” interaction and cooperation among regional countries.

Her remarks came a few days after US Secretary of State John Kerry claimed that Iran is a destabilizing force that must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

“We made clear that we remain concerned about Iran’s destabilizing actions in the region,” Kerry said after Thursday talks with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh.

Afkham also said that the US support for Saudi Arabia in its military attacks against Yemen is a new kind of illegal intervention in internal affairs of other countries.

She further slammed the US for following a double-standard approach towards terrorism, saying that Washington is the real destabilizing force in the Middle East.

“Supporting governments that are among the main financial and intelligence supporters of terrorism has intensified instability (in the region),” she stressed.

Earlier on Wednesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that the US has the most disgraceful government in the world, an obvious sign of which is Washington’s support for the Saudi atrocities against people of Yemen.

“The Al Saud government is busy killing innocent people, women and children in Yemen without any justification and under the mere pretext that why Yemenis do not agree of a specific person for presidency, and Americans are also supporting such serious crimes,” the Leader said.

“Americans are supporting the killing of Yemenis without any shame, but accuse Iran – which wants to deliver medical and food aid to people of Yemen – of interfering in that country and dispatching arms,” Imam Khamenei added.