IRGC Commander Casts Doubt on US Goodwill in Fight against ISIL
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps played down hopes on Tuesday of any success for the so-called US-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group, saying the move, rather like a “show”, is to fulfill Washington’s goals.
“We have serious doubts as to whether the Americans’ objective would be the complete destruction of the ISIL,” Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said in a news conference in Tehran on Tuesday.
Pointing to a Monday conference in Paris that brought together members of the so-called US-led coalition against the ISIL, the commander stressed that Iran would have definitely not attended the gathering if it had been invited.
He said the US decision to form a coalition against the ISIL revels the White House has lost hopes for an effective role by the terrorist group in the region.
“Iran had been opposing to the existence of such (terrorist) groups before the establishment of the ISIL, and supported the countries, particularly Syria, and the fight against terrorists,” he added.
The commander noted that the US objective in Syria has remained unchanged, which is overthrowing the Syrian government.
Many of the terrorist groups operating in Syria, except the ISIL, still benefit from the US backing.
The ISIL is a militant group in Iraq and Syria believed to be supported by the West and some regional Arab countries. The terrorist group claims as an independent state the territory of Iraq and Syria, with implied future claims intended over more of the Levant, including Lebanon, occupied Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, and Southern Turkey.