US Plot for Western Asia Against All Countries' Interests

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the long-term US plot for Western Asia is against the interests of all countries, particularly Iran and Russia, urging vigilance and close interaction to thwart the scheme.

In a meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei said the US has a long-term plot to take control of the whole of West Asia by dominating Syria and then expanding its dominion over the entire region, saying, “This plot is a threat to all nations and countries, particularly Russia and Iran.”

The Leader hailed Russia’s influential role in regional issues, particularly in the Syrian conflict, and said Moscow’s decisions and measures in dealing with developments in Damascus enhanced the regional and international standing of Russia and President Putin in particular.

“The Americans have always been trying to place their rivals in a position of passivity but you have foiled such a policy,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The US and its followers are seeking to achieve through political means and negotiations the objectives that they have failed to obtain via military approaches, the Leader said, adding vigilance and a proactive stance are necessary to prevent this goal from being realized.

Ayatollah Khamenei said Washington’s insistence on the ouster of Syria’s legitimate and democratically-elected President Bashar al-Assad is among the weaknesses of the US policies.

The Leader said the Syrian president, in a national election, succeeded in winning the majority of votes of the Syrian people with “different political, religious and ethnic” viewpoints and emphasized that the US has no right to ignore the Syrians’ choice.

Ayatollah Khamenei said every solution on the Syrian crisis should be endorsed by the country’s nation and officials.

The Leader stated that Washington’s direct and indirect aid to terrorist groups, including Daesh, is among other obvious flaws in Washington’s policies.

Washington’s “cooperation with countries which have no standing in the public opinion of regional and world [nations] due to their support for terrorists shows that the Americans have no honorable diplomacy,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader stressed that with the particular exception of the nuclear issue, Iran does not and will not engage in mutual negotiations with the US about Syria or any other issues.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the proper settlement of the Syrian issue will be “very important” and will play an effective role on determining the future of the region.

If the terrorists who are committing atrocious crimes in Syria are not crushed, the expanse of their activities will spill over into the Central Asia and other parts of the world, the Leader warned.

Elsewhere, the Leader welcomed the further enhancement of Tehran-Moscow cooperation on bilateral, regional and international issues.

Ayatollah Khamenei commended Russia’s efforts on the Iranian nuclear issue and said, “This issue came to a conclusion but we have no trust in the Americans and are monitoring the US government’s attitude and performance in this regard with open eyes.”

The Leader said President Putin and Iranian officials are determined to expand mutual relations and added that the two countries should further improve cooperation, particularly in economy.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the appropriate level of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in politics and security and said the Russian president has pursued a “very good and innovative” stance on different issues, particularly over the past 1.5 years.

Iranian and Russian officials have signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) held in Iran’s capital Tehran.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani announced that the signing of the MoUs shows that bilateral cooperation between Russia and Iran is moving towards further development.

The conditions after signing the Iran nuclear agreement have created a suitable environment to develop the Tehran-Moscow relations, he added.

Rouhani noted that investments in Iranian and Russian public and private sectors could be “one of the important pillars” for developing these relations.

“There are also an abundance of projects in various economic fields which can bear fruit in joint partnership,” Rouhani said, adding that there are also many projects in the fields of energy, oil, gas and electricity for mutual cooperation between the two countries. 

Following the signing of the documents, Rouhani said that during talks with Putin it was agreed to further expand cooperation in the battle against terrorism, which he said was a “threat for the region and the world.”

Describing as “serious” the Islamic Republic’s resolve in the fight against terrorism, the Iranian president said Russia has also taken “effective measures” to fight terrorists in the region over the last few months.

Following the conclusion of the GECF summit, member states issued a declaration that underscored the need to facilitate stronger cooperation in a series of fields, including pricing mechanisms and the transfer of expertise.   

The declaration also highlighted the need for the member states to work together over the security of natural gas supplies to the global worldwide.

*Photo Credit: Fars News Agency