Addressing the opening ceremony of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) Regional Conference on Preventing and Countering Terrorism held in Tehran on Wednesday, Najafi said that terrorism is a threat to international peace and security, undermines human values, and violates the fundamental rights of victims.
In addition to killing innocent people, terrorism has caused a lot of damage, especially in West Asia and parts of Africa, he added.
As one of the victims of terrorism, Iran condemns all its forms and believes that there is no connection between terrorism, and religion and nationality, he added.
We have lost nearly 17,000 of our citizens to a terrorist group known as the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), members of which are mostly living in European countries, he said.
The assassination of nuclear scientists by Israel and the assassination of Martyr Lieutenant General Soleimani by the United States at the Baghdad airport should also be added to this list, he stressed.
Respect for national sovereignty is a constant principle in fighting terrorism, he said adding that Iran condemns any use of force and occupation of the territory under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
Emphasizing the UN's pivotal role in establishing norms in the fight against terrorism, we believe that the United Nations should take good steps in this regard and the United Nations Security Council should refrain from any double standard in fighting terrorism.
The lack of a single definition of terrorism at the international level and the provision of different lists of terrorist groups that have a political approach are among the disadvantages of this issue, Najafi said.
The unilateral approaches and political goals of some countries, including the United States, have damaged international peace and security, he added.
Canada's decision in blacklisting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, a part of Iran's official military force, violates Iran's national sovereignty, and Tehran will respond decisively to any action that violates its national security, he emphasized.
Today, terrorist groups act as the arms of some trans-regional actors, he said adding that Iran provided effective help to some countries in the region in fighting terrorist groups, and the defeat of ISIS is one of its results.
Sending foreign terrorists to our region is considered a threat to the peace, stability, and security of all regional countries, and Iran has repeatedly given the necessary warnings to different countries, Najafi said.
After the defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, we have been witnessing dangerous actions, including the recent movements of terrorist groups in the region, he stressed.
One of the destructive actions of Western governments in West Asia is to designate popular resistance groups, including those in occupied Palestine, as terrorists, which is considered a clear violation of international law, he said.
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