Iranian lawmaker claim US seeks to prolong contained crisis in Middle East

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, Alaeddin Boroujerdi

A senior Iranian lawmaker says the United States seeks to prolong “the contained crisis” in the Middle East.

“We are of the opinion that the US policy is to perpetuate the contained crisis in the region. The democratic principle of ‘one person, one vote’ must be properly observed in all [regional] countries including Bahrain,” the chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said in a meeting with the Secretary-General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Christian Masset, in Paris on Monday.

He added that there is no difference between the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, and Daesh Takfiri terrorist group which are conducting acts of terror in Iraq and Syria.

“Safeguarding the Iraqi and Syrian territorial integrities is a core policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the senior Iranian legislator said.

Boroujerdi further said Tehran and Paris must make use of new opportunities created after the implementation of last year’s nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, to improve bilateral and regional cooperation.

He added that the two sides should also hold consultations on international developments, particularly the issues of terrorism and extremism as global threats.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – plus Germany signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015.

Under the nuclear agreement, which took effect in January, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related bans imposed on the country.

‘France concerned about spread of extremism in Europe’

The French Foreign Ministry official says France believes that Islam is a part of his country but is concerned about the spread of extremism and violence in the name of Islam which is not acceptable.

Masset said Tehran and Paris have been improving cooperation and increasing the exchange of visits between their officials after the JCPOA implementation.

France believes that Iran is a major power which plays a pivotal role in establishing peace, stability and security, he added.

He also expressed his country’s opposition to plots for partitioning Syria and Iraq and called for respect for the two countries’ territorial integrity.