Nikki Haley: The Iranian Government is the Source of Most Problems in the Middle East

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in a meeting at the Security Council, stated that the Iranian government is the source of most problems in the Middle East, citing existing crises in the region. Nikki Haley spoke at the UN Security Council meeting on February 19, which was convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East. She referenced several crises in West Asia, including the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which she described as one of the worst calamities in the world, the Houthi rebels' attacks 'using Iranian missiles' on their neighbors, the 'use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad's regime' resulting in the deaths of 'over half a million' citizens in that country, millions of refugees in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, the expanding influence and military equipment of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the lingering threats from ISIS, and terrorist attacks in Egypt. The U.S. Ambassador added, 'And of course, there is a government in Iran that supports terrorism and is the source, promoter, and origin of most of the problems I have mentioned.' The United States has long listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. The U.S. State Department claims that 'the Iranian government is the largest supporter of terrorism in the world.' Washington cites support for Hezbollah, which it considers a 'terrorist' organization, backing other militia groups, the 'interventions' of the Revolutionary Guard in other countries, and support for Bashar al-Assad's government as reasons for Iran's position at the top of the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Tehran, on the other hand, has consistently denied these accusations, deeming them 'baseless' or 'malicious.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also accused Washington of 'creating, expanding, and supporting terrorist groups.' The Iranian government claims that its forces' presence in countries like Iraq or Syria is 'to combat terrorism.' Nikki Haley emphasized in her remarks at the Security Council that the existing humanitarian and security challenges in the West Asia region should receive more attention. She critically noted that Security Council members, instead of focusing on these challenges, blame Israel, 'the most democratic country in the Middle East,' for the problems.