TEHRAN- The speaker of Iran's parliament on Monday described the assassination of senior anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani and his comrades in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad as a blatant instance of "state terrorism."

Speaking at the 13th session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in the Turkish capital Ankara, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf remembered the heinous crime committed against the global heroes of the battle against terrorism by former U.S. president Donald Trump on January 3,2022.

Qalibaf went on to add that General Soleimani, the IRGC Quds Force commander, dedicated his entire life to securing regional and global security and took decisive action against Takfiri organizations and international terrorism.

Iran's parliament speaker emphasized that Trump and all of his aides and assistants must face justice in relevant courts and judicial bodies.

“Substantial stance of Asia”  

The speaker said that the world is going through a difficult time that affects all people and is not limited to only one country, continent, or region. 

He also noted that Asia now has a unique position in the globe and has the potential to play a significant role in resolving global issues.

Governments should accept multilateralism as a pattern based on Asian cooperation, he remarked, adding that values like territorial integrity and non-interference in other nations' internal affairs should be maintained by all states in order to build a new international order based on fairness.

He exhorted Asian countries to take a more active part in world affairs by using coordinated strategies and shared goals at regional and international institutions.

Decrying American unilateralism, he also pointed out that Western nations which denigrated the Islamic Prophet of Islam and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution want to present their own cultural norms as the finest ones. He made the comments in reference to the insulting images of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo against Iran.

“Palestinian cause”  

Qalibaf also stated that the subject of Palestine and its oppressed people merit greater world attention.

“We believe that the final solution to the Palestinian crisis will be possible not through imposed plans to consolidate the occupation, but by referring to the votes of the Palestinian people, the return of the Palestinian refugees to the country, and establishment of a just peace,” the speaker emphasized.

He underlined Iran's preparedness to meet current difficulties and regional countries' shared objectives, particularly in bolstering multilateralism.

The Asian Parliamentary Assembly is regarded as one of the most significant organizations in Asia which is set up to help advancement of multilateralism.

Turkey hosts the assembly between January 9 and 10, with seven countries participating at the level of speaker and four countries at the level of deputy speaker.