He made the remarks on Monday during the opening ceremony of the International Conference on Defense and Security in West Asia in Tehran.
Shamkhani rejected Washington’s claims that Tehran has called for talks with the US, saying, just the opposite, “during my recent visit to Afghanistan, the Americans asked me twice for negotiations.”
According to him, the US has violated an alarniming number of international norms and commitments, so far, "so there is no point in negotiating with them”.
Washington’s withdrawal from the multilateral nuclear deal signed in 2015, pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, entering into economic war with China and Europe and the recent withdrawal from UNESCO show the true face of the US government in breaking international agreements, Shamkhani said.
Referring to the challenges in the region posed by extremist and Takfiri groups and their allies, he said the US has not played any positive role in the collapse of the ISIL in Syria.
The Americans have not fulfilled any of their obligations to ensure security in Afghanistan, Shamkhani said, adding that the current situation dictates nothing but the departure of the US from the region.
Noting that the US’ presence in Afghanistan has brought nothing to the region but insecurity, he said, the departure of the US troops will give Afghanistan the chance to strengthen its defense and military capabilities.
Pointing to Iran’s recent negotiations with Taliban on the Afghan-Afghan peace issues, General Shamkhani dismissed any possibility of holding talks with ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists. “Talks with Taliban will certainly never lead to talks with Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra,” he stressed.
MNA/4505994
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