By preventing the Palestinians from having access to COVID-19 vaccine, the Zionist regime has passed the lines of economic terrorism and entered crime against humanity, said Qalibaf, speaking online in the fourth conference of countering terrorism and strengthening regional ties of the speakers six countries that was held in Antalya, Turkey.
Missions from Iran, Russia, China, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan attended the meeting.
This meeting is being held under the conditions that the region and the world are facing numerous political, security and economic challenges and crises. As one of the new challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic, has prepared conditions for the spread of terrorism and violent extremism more than before, he said.
He went on to say that terrorists take advantage of the rifts, uncertainty, and economic problems caused by pandemic to spread more hatred and divisions, and radicalizing and recruiting new members.
The nature of COVID-19 virus is not dissimilar to terrorism, Majlis speaker said, adding that Terrorism and COVID-19 both kill innocent people regardless of boundaries. Christians, Muslim, the old and the young, and men and women are all vulnerable to terrorism.
He noted that like fighting COVID-19, fighting terrorism should too become the priority in all countries.
It is quite clear and undeniable that Iran has always been exposed to terrorism and thus has always tried to be on the front of fighting it, he said.
He also said that some countries use terrorism as a tool to reach their foreign policy goals and that the six countries of Turkey, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran must act in such a way that ideologists and supporters of terrorism pay a higher price in propaganda, political and security aspects, especially in the current critical condition.
Qalibaf said that some countries, such as the United States and the fake Zionist regime, have used terrorism and terrorist groups as a tool to achieve their goals and interests and have openly shown such intentions.
He argued that if the US assassination of anti-terror commander General Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh can be given any other name than terrorism.
Do assassination of two Iranian and Iraqi figures who were central to the fight against terrorist and extremist groups, including Daesh (the ISIS) and assassinating a prominent Iranian scientist who was the head of the project to develop COVID-19 detection kits have any meaning other than state terrorism? he asked.
Regarding the issue of Afghanistan, he said that the principled policy of Iran is supporting the Afghan government that has been chosen by the people in the democratic structure of the country.
He also said that Iran believes that foreign forces should leave the region.
The speaker of the Iranian Parliament went on to say that the terrorism and extremism are multifaceted phenomena and can be defeated only if a comprehensive plan is developed by all countries exposed to this risk.
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