Syrian Crisis Outcome of Foreign Interference: Iranian Diplomat
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan slammed certain Western countries for supporting anti-government militants in Syria, saying that the conflict in the Arab country was the result of foreign meddling.
"The crisis in Syria began due to the interference of foreign countries," Mohsen Pakayeen was quoted by Azerbijan’s Report News Agency as saying on Monday.
The diplomat added that Western countries provided terrorist groups with arms and financial resources to fight against the legitimate government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The US administration has officially announced its support for the Syrian opposition, he said, adding that even the US Congress has approved arming the Syrian opposition.
The US has officially declared that it has created both the Taliban and al-Qaeda and that those militant networks serve Washington’s interests, he noted.
The envoy went on to say that Iran believes any decision about Syria should be made by the Syrian people.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011. According to the United Nations, more than 220,000 people have been killed and one million wounded during the conflict.
The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has reportedly been supported by the Western powers and their regional allies - especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.