US Terrorist Forces behind Regional Insecurity: Iran’s Shamkhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani highlighted the US government’s role in recent tensions and conflicts in the Middle East and said insecurity will not end as long as the “terrorist forces” of the US are present in the region.
Speaking at a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in Tehran on Monday, Shamkhani deplored a recent move by Washington to assassinate Iran’s revered commander, Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, and said, “(US President Donald) Trump and his stupid advisers (wrongly) thought that by assassinating the brave commander of the Resistance Front, Hajj Qassem Soleimani, they would cause the collapse of the front in the region.”
However, the move backfired and the blood of the martyr and his companions strengthened the Resistance Front and led to further hatred of the regional nations toward the US, he added.
“As long as the US’ terrorist forces are present in the West Asian region, this region will not achieve lasting stability, peace and security,” Shamkhani stated.
“The expulsion of evil US forces will undoubtedly take place through the unity of regional nations and governments,” he went on to say.
The Syrian prime minister, for his part, offered his condolences on the martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani and said the noble objective of the martyr was to defend the oppressed against the US and the Zionist regime of Israel.
General Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the deputy head of Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha'abi (PMU), and a number of their entourage were killed in a strike by American drones near Baghdad International Airport on Friday, January 3.
The White House and the Pentagon claimed responsibility for the assassination of General Soleimani in Iraq, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of Trump.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) targeted the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.