US Seeking to Lodge ISIL Terrorists in Afghanistan, Iran’s President Warns

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Tajik counterpart in Dushanbe on Saturday, the Iranian president cautioned that the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan will threaten not only the Afghan nation, but the entire region.

“After creating Daesh (ISIL) and the evil acts that they committed in Syria and Iraq, the Americans are seeking today to deploy those terrorists to Afghanistan,” President Raisi warned.

Calling for collective action to prevent the presence of any terrorist group in Afghanistan, he said, “We are opposed to any current paving the way for the growth of terrorist currents in Afghanistan, and it must be countered decisively.”

The president underlined that the Islamic Republic will never allow the terrorist currents, including Daesh, to take shelter near the Iranian borders or to seek to harm Iran, the region or Afghanistan.

Highlighting the common views of Iran and Tajikistan about the settlement of Afghan crisis, Raisi said the both nations believe that foreign interference has caused problems in Afghanistan.

The outsiders could not bring about security in Afghanistan by any means, he stated, stressing that Iran opposes the continued presence of foreigners in Afghanistan.

Reiterating the necessity for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, President Raisi said the conflicts in that country need to be resolved by the Afghan people themselves and with the help of the neighboring countries.

“Our cooperation with Tajikistan and the neighbors of Afghanistan could prepare the ground for Afghans to decide their own fate,” the Iranian president concluded.

For his part, President Rahmon said his country calls for the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan and believes that tranquility in Afghanistan would guarantee regional security.

The Tajik leader finally described the formation of an inclusive and broad-based government in Afghanistan as a key factor in the establishment of sustainable peace and stability in that country.