News / Politics

Iran will confront disintegration of regional countries: Leader’s adviser

Tuesday, 15 November 2016 11:19 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 15 November 2016 11:29 AM ]

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

A senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran will confront any attempt at the disintegration of regional countries.

Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises the Leader on international affairs, made the remarks at a meeting with visiting former French defense minister Herve Morin in Tehran on Tuesday.

“Iran will, in words and action, oppose the disintegration of regional countries by foreign elements,” he said. “We will confront such attempts, which are detrimental to the region.”

As a case in point, Velayati referred to the Islamic Republic’s provision of advisory military support to neighboring Iraq, at Baghdad’s request, toward contributing to stability in the region in general and the preservation of the Arab country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in specific.

Iran and Iraq share a long common border, which calls for increased bilateral cooperation, he said, and added that such cooperation, in turn, works much to ensure peace in the region.

“Senior Iraqi authorities, themselves, attest [to the fact] that, without Iran’s help, Daesh would have been very likely to gain control over Baghdad,” he said.

He described the current situation in West Asia as “sensitive” because of the region’s particular “geopolitical and geo-strategic position.”

Velayati concluded by saying that the strategic talks with the French side could continue. “The exchange of viewpoints about regional issues is a requirement of the relations between the two countries,” he said.

For his part, Morin, who served as the French defense chief under former president Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2010 and who is a current parliamentary member, highlighted Iran’s important role in the anti-terror fight.

“It is impossible to fight terrorism without Iran’s participation,” he said.

The former French defense chief also lauded Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, saying the accord “guarantees stability and security in the region and the world.”

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