TEHRAN - First Vice-President Es’haq Jahangiri said on Sunday that terrorists would have formed a government in the Middle East region if Iran had not rushed to confront them.

The vice president was openly referring to the Islamic State (Daesh) which fought hard to establish a caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq.

In 2014, IS militants occupied large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria. Iran deterred their rapid advances toward Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdistan.  

“The terrorist groups which sought to portray a new and violent image of Islam were in the region, especially in Iraq and Syria, and they would have had a government in the region if Iran had not helped and countered them,” he said during remarks at the closing ceremony of the Farabi International Award.

He noted that the region is still suffering from the negative consequences of wars which were waged by the U.S., a reference to the U.S. wars against Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 which helped energize terrorist groups.

Elsewhere, he said that Iran has been through many ups and downs during the past 40 years and is able to create opportunities in difficult situation.

He said that the U.S. has started an economic and psychological warfare against Iran and seeks to depict Iran’s future as “vague”.

“Comprehensive efforts should be made to show the bright future of Iran and show the people new prospects,” the vice president remarked.

He noted, “Now it is the time to hold talks and increase public trust on the system and future of Iran.”

‘All bodies should be held accountable for their decisions’ 

Jahangiri also said all the country’s institutions should be held accountable for any decision that they take for the destiny of the country.

 “The administration, Majlis (parliament), Judiciary, the Expediency Council, in proportion to domain of their power and duties, should be held accountable for the decisions that they take toward a nation and country,” the pragmatic vice president insisted.

President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. unilaterally from the 2015 nuclear deal in May and ordered sanctions against Iran. The first round of sanctions went into force on August 6, 2018 and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were snapped back on November 4.

John Bolton, the national security advisor to President Trump, said in November 2018, “We think the (Iranian) government is under real pressure and it’s our intention to squeeze them very hard. As the British say, squeeze them until the pips squeak.”

NA/PA