Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the United States is accountable for any consequences of its act of terror against Lieutenant General Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), stressing that Washington will pay a heavy price for its recent terrorist move.
In a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Tehran on Saturday, Rouhani stressed the importance of holding more consultations between Tehran and Doha given the ongoing situation in the region after the assassination of General Suleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of the Iraqi pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), at Baghdad airport in the early hours of Friday.
“The Americans have unfortunately taken a new path that can be very precarious for the region. So, closer consultations and coordination among friendly countries are necessary,” the Iranian president said.
He emphasized that the Islamic Republic has never initiated any tension that has led to insecurity in the region and blamed “unwise measures” by the US for stoking tensions in the region over the recent years.
He described General Suleimani as an international figure who fought terrorism and played a leading role in promoting security in regional countries, particularly in Iraq and Syria, saying, “At the current juncture, we expect friendly and neighboring countries to explicitly condemn this US crime.”
“I hope that we will all denounce state terrorism in unison, and that regional countries will further strengthen their unity, coherence and understanding,” the Iranian president stated.
He emphasized that the US terrorist act against General Suleimani was an affront to the Iraqi people and a violation of the Arab country’s national sovereignty.
Pointing to the “very destructive” presence of the US in the region, Rouhani added that all regional countries should realize that peace would not be established in the region as long as the Americans are present here.
Source: Press TV
