The Iranian regime has branded an international conference in Paris on fighting the Islamic State group as ‘just for show’ after being banned from attending the event.
The regime was not invited to the high-level meeting in Paris on Monday September 15th for an international strategy summit on how to combat ISIS.
Iranian regime’s deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told state television: “We have no interest in taking part in this counter-terrorism conference in Paris which has a selective guest list and is just for show.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry had said on Friday, September 12th, that Washington opposed Tehran’s participation because of its ‘engagement in Syria and elsewhere’.
The US is building an international coalition against the IS and has said it plans air strikes against them on Syrian territory without the consent of Damascus.
Iran has been Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s main regional ally since the revolt against his rule erupted in March 2011, and has also provided military advisers to Maliki’s government in Iraq against the Iraqis uprising.
Meanwhile the clerical regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei said that Tehran had rejected Washington’s request for help in fighting the IS.
He told the state-run ISNA news agency on September 15: “The US ambassador to Iraq requested Iran’s help in fighting ISIL but I disagreed because their hands are dirty.
In the meantime USA Today reported that Secretary of State John Kerry was asked if Khamenei’s statement was false that he had turned down an invitation by a U.S. ambassador to cooperate in the military effort against the extremist organization.
“I have no idea of what interpretation they drew from any discussion that may or may not have taken place,” Kerry said. “We are not coordinating with Iran. Period.”
