Tasnim � Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the current security situation in the Islamic Republic and said the �good� security and progress have been achieved because of the country�s people.

�Iran is enjoying good security and progress due to (people�s participation in running the country),� Zarif said via video link to a three-day international conference on �Iran and its peripheral regions� that opened in Tehran on Monday with some foreign officials, ambassadors, and thinkers in attendance.

�Its (Iran�s) security and progress is intrinsic,� Zarif said, adding that although the country has repeatedly announced that it is interested in regional and international cooperation, its security and progress are rooted in its people.

He further highlighted the importance of the Middle East region and the efforts that Iran has made to promote regional interaction and cooperation and combat terrorism.

�Living in a secure region is vital to us,� the top diplomat went on to say.

In recent years, the Middle East has been plagued with Takfiri terrorist groups like Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), which are believed to have been created and supported by the West and some regional Arab countries.

The terrorist groups, which claim to be Islamic but whose actions are anything but, have been committing heinous crimes not only against non-Muslims but mostly against Muslims in the region.

Iraq and Syria have been gripped by insurgency with various terrorist groups, including Daesh, currently controlling parts of their territories.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of the countries and supports their legitimate governments in the face of foreign-backed militancy.