Zarif: Violence and terrorism in Syria and Iraq serve interests of certain countries

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that violence and terrorism in Syria and Iraq serve the interests of certain regional and western countries.
In a speech at the conclusion of the Conference on World Against Violence and Extremism held in Tehran, Zarif said that Syria and Iraq are victims of double standards in dealing with terrorism, adding “the fire started by some states will backfire on them.”
He said that getting rid of violence and extremism in the region can be done through cooperation among its states, since terrorism spreads across societies and current international counterterrorism measures are insufficient to deal with this threat to international peace and security.
Iran’s Deputy FM: Israeli attacks on Syria attempts to distract attention from internal problems
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that over three and a half years, Israel has been trying to deflect attention away from its internal problems by mounting attacks inside Syria.
“Everyone knows quite well that [the Zionist entity] is too weak to do anything in the region or in Syria,” Abdollahian said in a statement on Wednesday, indicating that some countries in the region and beyond are providing support for ISIS terrorist organization to change the situation in Iraq and Syria.
“But [this organization] is now a threat to the same countries that are backing it,” he added.