19-04-2024 05:19 AM Jerusalem Timing

Zarif Urges Countries to Stop Backing ISIL as ‘Temporary Capital’

Zarif Urges Countries to Stop Backing ISIL as ‘Temporary Capital’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged countries to recognize insecurity in the region would spread to other parts of the world if nations were to pursue their own securities in the instability of others

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged countries to recognize insecurity in the region would spread to other parts of the world if nations were to pursue their own securities in the instability of others.

ZarifIn remarks he made on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) meeting in the Iranian capital, Zarif said: “We have to realize that the issues and threats in the Middle East are related to all other countries, and it should not be the case for only one country to make efforts to settle the conflicts,” adding if all countries believed that ISIL could not be considered as their ‘temporary capital,’ all regional issues would have been settled.

“Some countries believe that Iran's nuclear deal is a threat, thinking that portraying Iran as a threat to the international community could become some kind of capital for them [to pursue their own personal gains], but the question here is, who should build trust?,” said Zarif

He added that Iran has been a victim to terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Taliban and ISIL and has never waged an attack on any other countries, so if anyone should make an attempt at building trust it would be those who had lend a hand in the formation of these terrorist groups.

Stressing that Iran does not wish to linger in the past as it would not be to the benefit of anyone, Zarif added that the country is ready to pursue a win-win strategy to settle Syrian crisis.

“Europe is gripped with a refugee crisis, but we too have been through that stage. At one point, we had three million Afghan refugees in Iran; however, it will be beneficial to all of us to end this humanitarian nightmare and all must show some flexibility in this regard,” said the Iranian diplomat.

The high-profile Munich Security Conference convening foreign ministers from some European and Middle East countries began in Tehran on Saturday to prepare the stage for discussions on regional developments.