Iran Claims U.S. Instrumental in Daesh, Terrorism Spread in Middle East

The United States has played a key role in the expansion of Daesh and other terrorist groups across the Middle East, says an Iranian diplomat at the United Nations, condemning Washington’s new accusation that Iran destabilizes the region, Press TV reports.

Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for the Iranian mission to the UN, made the remarks on Wednesday after US envoy to the world body Nikki Haley claimed during a Security Council session on Syria that Iran was a “destabilizing” force in the war-torn country. In a statement issued online, Miryousefi said Haley’s “baseless” statement did little to undermine Iran’s “sincere” efforts to de-escalate the situation in Syria in the face of Washington’s “push to thwart” them.

“The U.S. government has been instrumental in the growth of Daesh and terrorism in the Middle East. Its misadventures and illegal interventions across the region, especially Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Syria, are destabilizing and have had disastrous consequences for these countries and the region. Washington could not “cover up its destructive role” by putting the blame on other countries,” Miryousefi asserted.

The Iranian diplomat also questioned America’s unconditional support for Israel despite the fact that the Tel Aviv regime is the “primary” source of instability in the region due to its “illegal and aggressive practices.”

In her speech, Haley also lashed out at Russia for not using its leverage over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the war.

“Russia can push the regime to commit to seeking a real peace in Syria, a peace that helps the Syrian people,” Haley said. “A peace that helps ensure the region’s security. Now is the time for Russia to use that leverage.”

Soon after that, she concluded her remarks by calling on all parties involved in the conflict to cease provocations.

“The road to peace will come when all of the parties stop provoking each other and choose the responsible path,” Haley said. “The path is clear: follow Resolution 2254, support Geneva, and most of all, push the Assad regime to do what it plainly does not want to do. If we rally around these goals, we will achieve real peace in Syria.”

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia rejected the charge, saying Russia was doing its part and it was the U.S. and its allies that did not use their influence to stop the violence. He also blasted Washington for the recent “unprovoked attack” on Syrian pro-government forces in Syria’s Dayr al-Zawr province, which reportedly killed scores of people, including private Russian military contractors.

After losing most of the Syrian territories under their control, Daesh terrorists are now largely concentrated in Eastern Ghouta and the northwestern province of Idlib. Last week was one of the bloodiest ones over the past years as Syrian government forces continued its attacks to free those areas, where many suffer from malnutrition and lack of basic medical supplies.

“What we are seeing in Syria today not only imperils the de-escalation arrangements and regional stability, it also undermines the efforts for a political solution,” he said, noting that the UN would continue its Geneva peace initiative, although it has failed to bear any fruit.

The UN special envoy also called on Iran, Russia and Turkey to use their regional influence in order to resolve the deadly conflict.  The three countries have been organizing peace talks for Syria in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana since January 2017. Together, they have been acting as guarantor states for the peace process.

While addressing the meeting, Syria’s envoy to the UN Bashar al-Ja’afari noted that de Mistura had refrained from mentioning the presence of U.S. and Turkish forces on Syrian soil. Jaafari stressed that so far 29 resolutions on Syria have been adopted by the council, all of which highlight all parties’ commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

“We have the right to question the actions taken by the UN Security Council to guarantee these objectives set by the founders in order to achieve peace, security and stability in the world,” he added.