Speaking in a phone call with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday, President Hassan Rouhani described the martyrdom of Lt. General Qasem Soleimani as an unprecedented crime by American statesmen and said, "We expect our friendly and neighboring governments to unanimously condemn this evil, criminal act."
The president emphasized that the United States is unreliable, adding, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has never initiated any act of aggression or even tension with the United States, and Iran's actions have always been a response to the American aggression."
Rouhani said that Iran-Afghanistan relations have been well-developed over the past few years, and expressed hope for further political, economic and cultural developments between the two countries.
"Afghanistan's peace and stability is of great importance to Iran and we consider peace and stability in Afghanistan as beneficial to the people of both countries," he added.
Appreciating the condolences of the Afghan President, Rouhani added, "We know that the people of Afghanistan, like the Iranian nation, are mourning this incident."
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, for his part, expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of Lt. General Qasem Soleimani.
Emphasizing the preservation of the common interests of the two countries in the region, the Afghan President stated, "Iran's security is our security and the efforts of the Afghan government and nation will be in line with promoting peace, stability, and brotherhood”.
Ashraf Ghani further praised the good neighborliness of the Iranian nation with Afghanistan over the past decades, referring to the long-standing and historic ties between the two nations.
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