Addressing the 137th IPU Assembly in St. Petersburg on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani referred to the theme of the conference, “Promoting cultural pluralism and peace through inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogue”, and voiced regret over US measures and policies that have undermined such efforts.
“US president’s recent remarks are a testament to that,” Larijani added.
The parliament speaker went on to note the US complicity in the 1953 coup against Iran’s democratic government, their support for Iraq’s Saddam Hussein in the 1980-88 Imposed War, and the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988 which led to the death of all passengers on board, adding “it is bewildering that the president of a country with such a harrowing political record is now voicing sympathy for the Iranian nation.”
Larijani then commended the IRGC as a popular military force that is fighting ISIL in Syria and Iraq upon the request of the two countries’ governments, and censured Trump for accusing the Guard Corps of supporting terrorism when the former US Secretary of States had publically admitted that the ISIL was created by the US.
“Mr. Trump has recently claimed that Iran has not been committed to the nuclear agreement when the IAEA has confirmed Iran’s compliance in all eight of its reports,” Larijani said.
He went on to add, “Mr. Trump is neither committed to international agreements nor has any respect for the United Nations,” Larijani added, noting Trump’s withdrawal from Paris climate agreement and UNESCO, his Mexico wall plan and his threats for destroying North Korea while addressing world’s leaders at the UN.
“If Mr. Trump is really concerned over nuclear weapons, why isn’t he stopping the Zionist regime of Israel?” Larijani said.
The Iranian senior official further thanked Russian government and especially President Putin for joining efforts with Iran and Turkey on finding a political solution to Syrian crisis on the course of Astana peace process.
MS/4114789