Iran has rejected accusations by the United States that it is a sponsor of terrorism, saying it only supports “the legitimate struggle of nations that are occupied.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari made the comments on June 5, shortly after the U.S. State Department issued its annual report naming Iran as the world’s major state sponsor of terrorism.
The U.S. report said Tehran is fueling conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Bahrain.
Ansari said, on the contrary, that the U.S. military has supported terrorist groups in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Yemen. He also said that Washington “turns a blind eye to the broad political and financial support [of terrorism] by Saudi Arabia and its other allies.”
He also criticized U.S. support for Israel and defended Tehran’s support for Palestinian groups, saying they have the right to resist Israeli occupation.