In an interview with France 24 on Thursday night, Ahani reiterated that Iran holds a clear stance towards terrorism, saying the Islamic Republic is a victim of terrorism and condemns it.
Ahani said that a selective approach towards terrorism must be avoided. It is not right to support and advocate terrorists who kill people in Syria while opposing rebels in Mali, he added.
Ahani said that Iran supports the Syrian people and added that the Damascus government is legitimate. He said that the Syrian government is lawful as long as it is supported by the majority of the Syrians, adding the Damascus government has kept its power due to public support despite different plots against it.
The Iranian envoy also said that political and armed measures aimed at causing sabotage in Syria are the fallout of sending militants into the Arab country.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil. The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
Regarding the conflict in the African country of Mali, Ahani said that any military intervention has consequences, adding that the question remained as to whether France's military action benefitted the national interests and the people of Mali.
Chaos broke out in the African country after Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a military coup on March 22, 2012. The coup leaders said they had mounted the coup in response to the government’s inability to contain the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country.
On January 11, France intervened in Mali by launching an air offensive under the pretext of halting the advance of the militants. France has also increased the number of its troops on the ground in the African country to 1,400.
press tv/281
