White House: Iran has supported terrorism for a generation

On Thursday, April 27, the White House spokesperson stated that Iran's government continues its activities in supporting terrorism, and the United States has conveyed its concerns to the Iranian government. Josh Earnest told reporters at a press conference that Washington has informed Iranian officials of its worries regarding Tehran's support for terrorism around the world. According to Nader Sediqi, a Radio Farda reporter in Washington, he added, 'The U.S. is fully aware that the Iranian government has been very active in supporting terrorist elements around the world for at least a generation, and for this reason, it is on the short list of state sponsors of terrorism.' Mr. Earnest also said that it is not expected that nuclear talks will alleviate U.S. concerns regarding terrorism. The White House spokesperson emphasized, 'Even if the Iranians continue their discussions regarding their nuclear program and agree to a comprehensive agreement, it is very likely that the Islamic Republic will continue to support some terrorist elements.' He clarified that it is precisely because of this support from the Iranian government for terrorism that nuclear talks become even more significant, as if Tehran were to acquire nuclear weapons, their support for terrorism would become more dangerous. Last June, Iran, along with Syria, Cuba, and Sudan, was included in the list of state sponsors of terrorism published annually by the U.S. Department of State. In this list, Iran was identified as the worst country in terms of supporting terrorism. In its 2014 report, the U.S. State Department accused the Iranian government of having increased its support for terrorism in an unprecedented manner compared to the previous 20 years. Mr. Earnest continued his remarks on Thursday by saying, 'We have all witnessed Iran's economic weakness due to sanctions, but unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest that economic pressures have led to a reduction in the Iranian government's investment in terrorism.' He stated that 'the Islamic Republic's support for terrorism remains strong as before.' Mr. Earnest also referred to other regional issues during his press conference but refrained from answering a question about the expansion of the U.S. nuclear umbrella in support of its Arab allies in the Persian Gulf, instead focusing on continuing military cooperation with those countries. The White House spokesperson described the Yemen crisis as very dangerous and said, 'There are indications that the Iranian government supports the Houthis in Yemen.' However, he added that it is still unclear whether the Houthis are controlled and commanded by Iran. The White House spokesperson emphasized that the Yemen war could escalate into a widespread regional conflict, and for this reason, a political resolution to the Yemen crisis would be beneficial for all countries and the most important step. Another point that drew attention in Josh Earnest's remarks was the White House's reaction to the potential action of the U.S. Senate to change the Corker-Menendez bill. He said the president is prepared to accept a bill that has been unanimously approved by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and any changes to it would face a veto from Mr. Obama.