TEHRAN- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has stated that terrorism in West Asia and Africa is a consequence of involvement by non-regional states.

In a joint news conference with his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop on Tuesday in Bamako, Amir Abdollahian remarked that “interference by some extra-regional countries is the reason behind formation of some terrorist groups in the West Asia region and Africa.”
"We are of the opinion that instrumental application of terrorism should be left aside and countries be allowed to act independently," the top diplomat said. 

Separately, the senior diplomat addressed the unlawful and cruel U.S. sanctions against Iran.

He said "history has shown that the U.S.'s sanctions have failed" despite the fact that "Iran has been subject to draconian American sanctions for years."

After pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), often known as the Iran nuclear deal, Washington reinstated the sanctions in 2018 and added new ones. 

He brought up the matter of Iran's bilateral ties with Mali as well, adding that Tehran prioritizes collaboration with the African country in the diplomatic sphere in the areas of defense, education, and economics.

The two countries are determined to deepen their connections, he said, adding "we have a clear plan for the bilateral relations." He cited his visit to Mali as evidence of Iran's particular focus on the two nations' ties.

The trip, the first to Mali and the African continent by Amir Abdollahian as foreign minister, included a meeting of the nations' joint economic mission, where the two sides decided to increase their cooperation in areas like economy, including digital economy, transportation, rail travel, housing, urban development, and culture.

The Malian official, for his part, called the use of sanctions a catastrophic policy, adding that it was inappropriate to deploy penalties in place of dialogue.

Diop stated that it was in both countries' best interests to work together to combat foreign meddling in bilateral relations.

He said, “We hope that enhancement of the relations can open up new ways for both the nations and lead to establishment of high-priority projects in our country.”