Terrorism supporters making big mistake: Larijani

Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says countries supporting terrorism in the Middle East have made a “big mistake.”

“The states that back terrorist groups have made a big mistake and will face problems” because of that, Larijani said in a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday.

The top parliamentarian termed the issues of terrorism in Syria and Iraq a “regional problem”, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has had a strategic view of terrorism in the region from the very beginning.”

Iran has long considered the question of Syria a “vital issue for the entire region,” he said, adding the passage of time has proved that Tehran has adopted the right position on the issue.

Larijani also envisaged a bright horizon for Syria, saying that the Syrian people and government have overcome an awful lot of hardly negotiable problems and “in my view the situation in Syria will be better in the near future.”

The Syrian premier, for his part, appreciated the support Iran has provided for the Syrian people and nation.

The US and its allies launched an air campaign in Syria in September under the pretext of targeting ISIL militants. However, they have also hit Syrian infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities, and attacked the provinces where ISIL militants are not operating.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The ISIL terrorists, who control parts of Syria and Iraq, are engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.

More than 200,000 people have been killed so far in the conflict in Syria, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein.