TEHRAN - Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said on Wednesday that the terrorist attack in Ahvaz in southwest Iran on September 22 revealed the “true face” of those countries who support terrorism and refrain to condemn it.

“This incident once again showed double standards being adopted by those who claim fight against terrorism and revealed the true face of supporters of terrorists who did not even condemn this crime,” Shamkhani told the Regional Security Dialogue conference in Tehran attended by top security officials from Russia, Afghanistan, India, and China.

Shamkhani said that supporting terrorists financially, using terrorism as a tool, promoting the Takfiri ideology and interfering in other countries’ affairs under the pretext of fighting terrorism are examples of double standards in campaign against terrorism.

The security chief also said it is necessary to cut the financial lifeline of terrorists through intelligence and security cooperation.

Shamkhani suggested that the security structure in the region should be drafted in accordance to the common interests of regional countries in order to end interference by foreigners and counter unilateralism.

‘Common enemy’

Speaking at the conference, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev called terrorism the “common enemy” and suggested that all should join hands to counter it.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Patrushev said the military presence of the U.S. in Afghanistan has only complicated the security crisis in the country.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001 the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to unseat the Taliban regime. However, after 17 years Taliban has emerged more violent.

‘No Afghan stability as long as terrorist are armed and funded’

Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib, whose country is in the midst of war against terrorism, said so long as terrorists in Afghanistan receive money and arms any campaign against them will not prove effective.

India's national security adviser, Ajit Doval, also said drug money is making terrorists in Central Asia stronger and it is necessary to devise a mechanism to cut the source of their money.

The Chinese security official present in the conference also called for intelligence sharing in struggle against terrorists and extremism.

He said his country is ready to activate the capacities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to counter threats of terrorism and violent extremist groups.

‘Terrorists in Syria endanger the entire region’

Shamkhani, chairman of the conference, also referred to the crisis in Syria, saying there are thousands of terrorists in Syria who pose a serious threat to the region in future.

Iran’s top security official also said there are credible evidence that the U.S. is transferring top ISIL militants to other parts of the world.

Participants to the conference in Tehran also condemned the terrorist attack in Ahvaz which left 24 people, including a 4-year-old child, dead and many others wounded.

Terrorists opened fire on people watching a military parade held to mark the invasion of Iran by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980s.

Al-Ahvaziya terror group which is backed by certain Arab countries and is based in Europe claimed responsibility for the attack.

‘Economic terrorism has targeted lives of Iranian people’

In a separate meeting with Doval, Shamkhani said the United States’ “economic terrorism” against Iran is targeting the livelihood of the people.

“Today, along with threats of Takfiri terrorism, we are facing economic terrorism by the U.S. which has targeted the livelihood of (Iranian) people,” Shamkhani lamented.

NA/PA