Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for concerted action against the American assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, saying silence on such heinous crime would embolden the US and result in greater threats to the region.
In a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, President Rouhani emphasized that inaction and silence on the US’ cruel attack on General Soleimani would embolden the aggressors.
“If we do not have a united voice against the US aggression, the entire region will face a major threat,” President Rouhani told Erdogan.
“The US has today committed a serious crime against us, and if we remain silent, such measure will be taken against the other countries tomorrow,” the Iranian president warned.
Decrying the US government’s “organized and state-sponsored assassination” of a popular Iranian military commander, the president said such American crime has also violated Iraq’s national sovereignty and independence.
“We expect all of our friends and neighbors to explicitly condemn such crime in this situation,” President Rouhani added, and thanked Turkey for expressing sympathy with the Iranian government and nation over the martyrdom of the IRGC Quds Force commander.
“Iran and Turkey have always held consultations about the complicated issues,” the Iranian president noted, adding, “In order to help settle the problems in Syria, the efforts will continue at the level of heads of Iran, Turkey and Russia.”
He also hoped to have a meeting with President Erdogan in Tehran in the near future.
For his part, the Turkish leader offered his condolences to Iran over the loss of General Soleimani, saying the massive presence of people in the Iranian commander’s funeral in Iraq indicates the deceased’s popularity.
Stressing the need to establish regional stability and security, President Erdogan said, “Foreign interference and regional conflicts prevent the region from achieving calm and stability, and we should not allow such measures to threaten peace and stability of the region.”
He then expressed confidence that Iran will handle the situation by relying on wisdom and its robust governmental and cultural structure that has its roots in history.
The Turkish president finally unveiled plans for a visit to Tehran in the near future for talks on the bilateral and regional issues.
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