Iran played key role in fight against Daesh: Foreign Ministry spokesman

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has hailed slain Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani’s major role in countering Daesh, warning of the worldwide impact of the terrorist group’s crimes had it not been for the Islamic Republic’s counter-terrorism efforts.

General Soleimani, Iran’s lead anti-terror commander, was assassinated in a US airstrike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020, three years after he declared the final victory against Daesh.

“If it weren’t for the leading role Iran and eminent General Soleimani played in the fight against Takfiri terrorism and Daesh, the whole world and all those claiming to champion human rights would be still impacted by the crimes of this terrorist group,” Nasser Kan’ani said during a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday.

Kan’ani made the remarks while lamenting the martyrdom of 13 pilgrims, including a woman and two children, in a Wednesday terrorist attack targeting the Shah Cheragh shrine in the southern province of Fars.

The attacker, a lone wolf Daesh terrorist, opened fire indiscriminately on visitors within the shrine, according to the police commander of Fars province. He was wounded and later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.

West’s unconstructive, meddlesome measures

Asked to comment on Western countries’ interference in Iran’s internal affairs, including in the recent nationwide riots, Kan’ani slammed their “unconstructive, and irresponsible measures” and “meddlesome statements” which, he said, turned peaceful protests into riots.

He added that due to the current state of riots, the voice of those who wanted to peacefully express their criticisms could not be heard.

They provided the ground for violence-seekers and rioters to wreak havoc and based their meddlesome actions on standing up for women’s rights and the rights of minorities.

Iran to issue sanctions against US, Canadian individuals soon over support for riots

Foreign Ministry spokesman says Iran will "soon" impose sanctions on American and Canadian individuals and institutions for their support of the recent riots.

Riots broke out in Iran last month after the controversial death of a young Iranian woman, identified as Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old fainted at a police station and was pronounced dead at a hospital three days later. An official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization said that Amini’s controversial death was caused by an illness rather than alleged blows to the head or other vital body organs.

The US administration and its European allies have over the past few weeks introduced sanctions against a number of Iranian individuals and entities over what they claim to be a heavy-handed crackdown on protesters across the country.

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in a statement on Friday shed more light on the major role of foreign intelligence agencies, especially the CIA, in orchestrating the violent riots.

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US sanctions target women, children: Kan’ani

Elsewhere in his press conference, Kan’ani said European officials claim they’re supporting women’s rights while endorsing indiscriminate sanctions imposed by the US against Iran that target women and children.

The spokesman added the US and its European allies’ “hypocritical” stance on the unrest further paved the way for chaos across the country.

IRGC sanction ‘unlawful’: Spokesman

Kan’ani also reacted to Germany’s latest efforts to add the IRGC to the list of terrorist organizations, saying the elite force is a legal organization and targeting it with sanctions is unlawful.

German authorities’ decision to sanction the IRGC is in continuation of that country’s “irresponsible and unconstructive” approach to the Iranian government and nation, he said.

He then urged Germany and other countries considering imposing sanctions against IRGC to “heed their unconstructive measures” and not to sacrifice their “mutual interests” for transitory political benefits and sentimental reasons.

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