TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Reza Najafi, has declared that the suppression of people living under occupation should be classified as terrorist activity, citing the Zionist regime as a prime example of such behavior.

Najafi made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) Regional Conference on Preventing and Countering Terrorism, held in Tehran on Wednesday.

Najafi emphasized that terrorism poses a significant threat to international peace and security, undermining human values and violating the fundamental rights of its victims. He noted that, beyond the loss of innocent lives, terrorism has inflicted extensive damage, particularly in West Asia and parts of Africa.

Highlighting Iran's own experience as a victim of terrorism, Najafi condemned all forms of terrorism, stressing that it has no legitimate connection to any religion or nationality. He pointed out that nearly 17,000 Iranian citizens have been killed by the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), a group whose members predominantly reside in European countries. Additionally, he cited the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists by Israel and the killing of Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani by the United States at Baghdad airport as further instances of terrorism.

Najafi stressed the importance of respecting national sovereignty in the fight against terrorism, condemning any use of force or occupation under the pretext of combating terrorism. He called for the United Nations to play a pivotal role in setting global norms against terrorism and urged the UN Security Council to avoid double standards in this fight.

He highlighted the absence of a unified international definition of terrorism and criticized the creation of politically motivated terrorist lists by certain countries, particularly the United States, as detrimental to international peace and security. Najafi also condemned Canada's decision to blacklist the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran's official military, as a violation of Iran's national sovereignty, vowing a decisive response to any actions that threaten Iran's national security.

Furthermore, Najafi pointed out that terrorist groups often operate as proxies for trans-regional actors, and he praised Iran's effective support to regional countries in combating terrorist groups. He warned that the deployment of foreign terrorists poses a threat to the peace, stability, and security of all regional nations and mentioned recent dangerous activities by terrorist groups in the region following Daesh's defeat in Syria and Iraq.

Najafi criticized Western governments for labeling popular Resistance groups in occupied Palestine as terrorists, arguing that this is a clear violation of international law.

Iran hosts the 63rd Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) on Preventing and Countering Terrorism.

AALCO, originally founded as the Asian Legal Consultative Committee (ALCC) on November 15, 1956, now includes 48 member states from Asia and Africa, representing two-thirds of the world's population. In 2014, Iran hosted an AALCO meeting that addressed issues such as maritime law, the rights of refugees and migrants, economic sanctions, developments in Palestine, international trade laws, and sustainable development.