Iran warns US over Syria bombing campaign
United Nations (United States)
(AFP) - Iran's president warned the US in an interview that air strikes
would not destroy jihadists in Syria but appeared upbeat about securing a
deal over Tehran's nuclear program.
The United
States bombed Islamic State-controlled oil refineries in Syria as
President Barack Obama rallied the world at the UN General Assembly to
fight the jihadist "network of death" in Iraq and Syria.
In
an interview with veteran US broadcaster Charlie Rose, Hassan Rouhani
described the Islamic State (IS) group as "extremely savage and
barbaric," but questioned the motives of the US-led bombing campaign in
Syria.
"It is not clear for us what they are seeking," he said in the interview to be broadcast in full on PBS later Wednesday.
"Whether
they're under the pressure of their own domestic public opinions and
they want to put on a show, a theater for public consumption, or they're
after a tangible, a real objective in the region; it is not crystal
clear for us.
"But what I can tell you
unequivocably, no terrorist group can be eradicated and destroyed
through aerial bombardments only," he said in New York, where he is
attending the UN General Assembly.
Tehran
has been unusually accepting of the US military action in Iraq, where
it is also tackling IS but is a strong backer of the Syrian government.
Rouhani
accused unnamed countries in the region of fueling the rise of IS by
supporting groups in the civil war against Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad.
"All of them in one fashion or another encouraged and supported these terrorists," he said.
"Terrorism
is always bad without exceptions. You cannot say now it’s good and at
another time condemn it. It is always bad and evil."
Asked
about the prospect of securing an agreement on Iran's nuclear
activities, Rouhani said he believed a deal was "within reach" before a
November 24 deadline.
"Certainly, before the deadline that's remaining ahead of us, we will succeed in resolving this issue," he told Rose.
He
said Iran must safeguard its right to use peaceful nuclear energy and
the West must also be assured there will be no deviation from that.
Last
year Rouhani and Obama spoke by telephone at the end of the UN General
Assembly, but no meeting between the two leaders has been scheduled this
time.
"Today, conditions do
not dictate such a meeting," Rouhani told Rose, but signalled a
resolution of problems in relations further ahead.
"I do not believe that between Iran and America, there must be perpetual distance, a perpetual gap and tension," he said.
"I do believe that one day, these tensions will come to an end.
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