TEHRAN
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Tuesday to support Iraq and its army in fighting terrorism as Baghdad continues to struggle against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants who are nearing the city’s gates.
"Iran has been supporting Iraq and its army in fighting terrorism since the first day, (and) will keep to this approach,” Rouhani said.
During a joint press conference in Tehran with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Rouhani said that terrorism is a threat to all countries in the region -- and thus they should join hands in the fight against terrorism.
“Those who have formed the coalition against the terrorist group of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and claim that they are fighting terrorism should stop financial aid to terrorist groups,” Rouhani said.
Iranian officials have recently accused Saudi Arabia as the main financer of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as other terrorist groups, in an attempt to help overthrow the Assad regime.
Iran and Russia are two supporters of the Assad regime in Syria.
Saudi Arabia is part of a U.S.-led international coalition staging air strikes against ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria, in an effort to help Iraqi government and Kurdish forces deal with the terrorist organization which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, also described terrorism as a threatening menace to all countries in the region. "We are sure that Iran will stand by us until the destruction of this dangerous disease,” he said.
www.aa.com.tr/en
