Iran warns against threat of terrorism to regional, global security, slams West double standards

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has said that terrorism is one of the major threats to regional and global security, while criticizing the West for applying double standards when addressing the menace.

"We are witnessing double standards of the West vis-à-vis terrorism," Ashtiani said in a meeting with Zimbabwe's Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in Tehran on Monday.

He pointed to Israels' ongoing war against Palestinians as an example and said that Israel has brutally massacred nearly 40,000 Palestinian people, including children, over the past seven months due to support of the US and Western countries as well as silence of international forums.

"It is necessary for all the free and independent countries to express their hatred towards this regime's actions and take practical measures to stop the killing machine of the Zionist regime (Israel)," the Iranian defense chief emphasized.

At least 34,488 people Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed and 77,643 people wounded in the war that Israel began on October 7, 2023 following a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory’s resistance movements.

The brutal military onslaught enjoys unreserved military and political support on the part of the Israeli regime’s Western allies, including the United States and France.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian defense minister expressed Tehran's readiness to promote friendly ties with all African courtiers, particularly the independent and revolutionary country of Zimbabwe.

Ashtiani said Tehran and Harare attach importance to promotion of mutual relations at the highest levels.

"Among the revolutionary countries, Zimbabwe is very important because of its revolutionary leaders and people, maintaining a spirit of independence, and fighting against colonialism as well as [playing] a positive and constructive in the South African region," he said.

Back in July, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi visited Zimbabwe on the last leg of his three-nation tour of Africa which also took him to Kenya and Uganda.

At the end of his trip, Iran and Zimbabwe signed 12 memorandums of understanding to strengthen bilateral ties.

Zimbabwe, Iran ink ‘record’ 12 MoUs as President Raeisi ends Africa tour

President Ebrahim Raeisi has wrapped up his three-nation African tour with a visit to Zimbabwe where the two sides signed 12 memorandums of understanding to strengthen bilateral ties.

The Zimbabwean vice president, for his part, condemned Israel's terrorist attack on Iran's diplomatic premises in Syria in April and the killing of Iranian military advisors and said the Tel Aviv regime's war in Palestine also exposes the West's double standard policies.

Chiwenga added that Western countries have imposed sanctions on both Iran and Zimbabwe, expressing his country's readiness to promote defense and economic cooperation with Tehran.

He noted that a planned visit by Zimbabwe's president to Tehran will be a turning point in the expansion of mutual relations.

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