Norway Acknowledges Iran’s Regional Influence
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Norwegian foreign minister hailed Iran as an influential country in the Middle East region, and commended the Islamic Republic for its efforts to restore calm to Syria and Iraq.
In a Saturday meeting with Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Tehran, visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende admitted that “Iran has had a constructive role in formation of the process of stability and calm in Iraq and Syria.”
He also deplored the ongoing “abhorrent” incidents in the Middle East region, saying they all stem from extremism and terrorism.
The Iranian speaker, for his part, said the Middle East is undergoing “very sensitive” conditions at the present time.
“What we are witnessing today in the region is dangerous extremism and neo-terrorism, while countering such inauspicious and inhumane phenomenon depends on the fundamental measures, not the tactical and superficial ones,” Larijani added.
Amid the tensions in Iraq, Iran is known as the first country to help the Arab country and has always voiced support for Iraq’s solidarity and prosperity.
Since early this year, Iraq has been facing a growing militancy by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group, which has taken over areas in the country’s west and north. The crisis has deteriorated since June, when the ISIL declared a so-called caliphate in the territories they have seized.
The ISIL terrorists have also threatened other communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, and others, in Iraq.
