“Unfortunately our region has been suffering from instability and destructive activities of terrorists for over 6 years now," he told the reports at Mehrabad Airport and before leaving Tehran for Sochi to take part in the tripartite summit of Iran, Russia and Turkey.
Rouhani said that “the Islamic Republic of Iran knew at the very beginning that destabilizing and redesigning the region was part of the Western countries’ plot for a Greater Middle East, which the US had designed many years before, with the support of Zionist regime.”
The president said “the first years were the days of the oppression of the Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese people. Except for the people of those countries and their armies, and some volunteers, including the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, nobody came to help. But with the sacrifices that made, it became clear that terrorists would not win in the region and the future of the region was for the people of the region.”
Rouhani said that “Russia's presence on the ground along with the countries of the region was very effective, and the world realized that the crises in Syria and Iraq would not end like what they wanted and they should have listened to the people of the region.”
The president pointed out that “following the successful Syrian and Iraqi struggles against the terrorists, the pillars of terrorism were felled, though that does not mean terrorism is finished in Syria and Iraq.”
Pointing out that during last year, Iran, Russia and Turkey coordinated their efforts to help Syria and Iraq and Astana talks over the past 11 months were held in that regard, he said “today, a very important summit comprised of the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey is going to take place in Sochi, Russia.”
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