Iran's message to Donald Trump over support for Syria rebels and Saudi

The Chief of General Staff for the Iranian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Bagheri, addressed a conference of military leaders from more than 35 countries yesterday as he made the stern remarks.

کد خبر: ۷۹۳۰۶۸

تاریخ: ۰۴ ارديبهشت ۱۳۹۷ - ۰۹:۱۹

In a pointed message aimed at the US he claimed Washington was too involved in the affairs of the Middle East.

He said: “Certain powers and regional actors are unwilling to accept the facts of the new world.”

The General added Tehran would “never bow to the will and pressure of the US and its allies”.

Relations between Iran and the US have plummeted since Trump took office at the start of last year.

The largest factor behind the tense diplomatic relationship comes from Trump’s decision to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Also known as the Iran nuclear agreement, the international pact between Iran, the UK, US, Russia, France, China, and Germany was agreed in 2015 and aims to limit Tehran’s nuclear arsenal.

Trump has argued the Iran nuclear agreement is too lenient and has called for tougher sanctions to be imposed on the rogue state.

However, in Monday’s conference speech General Bagheri also criticised the US for “illegal” airstrikes in Syria.

Iran, along with Russia, is supportive of the Assad regime and threatened the West with retaliation after they took military action in Syria a fortnight ago.

In his conference speech the general also condemned the US for exporting weapons “to various countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, to plunge the Middle East into war.”

Saudi Arabia and Iran are in the midst of a major power struggle in the Middle East and Tehran are furious the US has taken sides in the regional conflict.

The pair have been involved in a proxy war in Yemen as Riyadh and Tehran try to prove their military might.

Accusing the US of meddling in the Yemen conflict by providing military support to Saudi Arabia, the general accused Trump’s administration of causing misery for civilians.

General Bagheri said: “The widespread military presence of certain major powers and their interventions in the Indian Ocean region has caused nothing but further insecurity, such as the relentless airstrikes on Yemeni people.”