In Response to American General, Iran Calls the U.S. the Source of Terrorism in the Region

In response to the remarks of the commander of the U.S. Central Command, who described Iran as the "greatest long-term threat to regional stability," the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry called U.S. policies the "main factor" in the formation of terrorist groups and the "unstable situation" in the region. According to the state news agency IRNA, Bahram Qasemi stated on Saturday, March 12, that "the reckless and incorrect policies of the U.S. have been the main cause of the unstable, tense, and unstable situation in the Middle East over the past decades and recent years." He emphasized that the "main source of the emergence of Takfiri terrorism and extremism" in the Middle East has been the presence of the U.S. in the region and its "foolish and malicious behaviors." Qasemi announced that the emergence of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Al-Nusra Front, and other similar groups is only a small part of the results of past U.S. policies. He accused the U.S. of being the "largest seller and exporter of advanced military weapons to specific governments" in the Middle East, playing a significant role in increasing tensions, crises, warmongering, and intensifying security pressures and political repression in some countries in West Asia. General Joseph Votel, the commander of the U.S. Central Command known as CENTCOM, expressed concern about the activities and influence of the Islamic Republic in Iraq and Syria, calling Iran the "greatest long-term threat" to stability in the Middle East during a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting last Thursday. The new U.S. administration has repeatedly warned that it will stand against Iran's actions in the region since taking office. In this context, James Mattis, the new U.S. Secretary of Defense, stated in a phone call with his Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, January 31, that the U.S. is in favor of preventing "Iranian interference" in the Middle East. With the change of government in the U.S., Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, expressed optimism about the new U.S. administration's willingness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia and confront the Iranian government. Saudi Arabia is a member of the coalition led by the U.S. against the Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria. Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly emphasized after the Vienna nuclear agreement and during Barack Obama's presidency that the Islamic Republic will not negotiate with the U.S. on regional issues and has also rejected the U.S. proposal to fight against ISIS. He has accused the U.S. and the U.K. of having unleashed ISIS to confront the Islamic Republic. Officials in Hassan Rouhani's government have also repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia of supporting this group. Iran is accused by several regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia, of interfering in the affairs of Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. In turn, Tehran accuses Riyadh of interfering in the internal affairs of these countries. The commander of the U.S. Central Command also criticized the actions of Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf during his remarks in the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not respond to this part of General Joseph Votel's remarks. Reports indicate that the IRGC vessels approached the USS Invincible to within 550 meters in the Strait of Hormuz last Saturday, causing the ship to change its course.