Tehran, Iran, Sept. 16
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said that Tehran doubts Washington's intentions in its fight against ISIL militant group.
"The U.S. is now disappointed at ISIL and other militant groups' performance so it is forming the international coalition to fight the group," he said, Iran's Fars News Agency reported on Sept. 16.
Referring to the international meeting on battling the ISIL group (also known as IS and ISIS) operating in Iraq and Syria in the French capital, Paris, Jafari said that even if invited Iran would not attend the meeting.
"The U.S. has declared was against ISIL in Iraq, but it still supports other terrorist groups in Syria," he said.
He went on to note that Iranian forces did not take part in the Amerli operation, because Iraqi forces were completely capable of succeeding in the mission.
The Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamanei said on Sept. 15 that Tehran rejected Washington's request for help in fighting the ISIL in Iraq.
"The U.S. ambassador to Iraq requested Iran's help in fighting ISIL but I disagreed because their hands are dirty," he said, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported on Sept. 15.
"The U.S. foreign minister also made the same request to [Iran Foreign Minister] Mr. Zarif, but he rejected the request too," Iran's leader explained.
Iran's leader went on to note that the US plan to form an international coalition for fighting the ISIL is absurd.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian previously said that the Paris meeting had a selective guest list and is just for show. He went on to note that Iran favors a genuine combat against terrorism in the region and around the world.
"Iran was the first country that helped Iraq in fighting the militants," he added.
He stressed that Tehran will continue to support Baghdad and Damascus in their fight against terrorist groups.
The U.S. president Barack Obama earlier this week announced his new strategy for fighting ISIL militants in Syria and Iraq.
The new strategy includes arming an anti-Damascus group who also fight with the ISIL, as well as carrying out airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
The US is forming a coalition consisted of up to 40 countries to fight ISIL. Iranian officials have repeatedly cast doubt on the sincerity of the US-led coalition.