TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the new U.S. report on terrorism “invalid”, saying it is an attempt to divert public opinion from Washington’s support for terrorism.

“The U.S. report on terrorism in the world is invalid and is a fruitless attempt to diver the international public opinion from the country’s supports and the role it plays in forming and boosting the terrorist groups,” ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said in a report posted on his Telegram channel.

His comments came as a response to the annual U.S. Reports on Terrorism 2016 in which it claimed Iran is sponsoring terrorism worldwide. The report was released on Wednesday. 

Qassemi said the report reveals U.S. hostile policies and its “shameful” instrumental use of any issue.

The report is drawn up based on “unrealistic” approaches which seeks to “deny obvious truth” and level “unfounded accusations” against Iran, he added.

Qassemi also said that some of the U.S. allies in the Middle East region have been ideological source of terrorism in the past two decades, yet they are regarded U.S. partners in fighting terrorism which proves that the report is “invalid” and “unfounded”.

Elsewhere, he said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to continue fighting the terrorist groups and violent extremism as the most serious international threats and will stand beside the Iraqi and Syrian governments in fighting Daesh and other Takfiri groups as long as the two governments request. Leveling wrong, biased and unfounded accusations like what has been said in the recent report of the U.S. State Department will not influence this policy.”

It is possible to reach a world without terrorism if some regional and extra-regional countries cut financial and ideological supports for the terrorist groups and have firm determination in fighting terrorism, Qassemi stated.

NA/PA