Irans regime has stepped up its attacks on the US over Iraq and Syria, claiming that American bombing of the Islamic State is merely a political stunt.Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani (pictured), picking up weeks of derision of the US by the Supreme Leader and the Iranian military,said after meetings in Pakistanon Friday, The coalition formed under the US leadership to fight the Islamic State is a propaganda campaign.
Larijani repeated the regime line that Washington had helped create the Islamic State to serve US and Israeli interests.
The Iranians have been increasingly concerned about the US involvement in the region since the American aerial intervention against the Islamic State began in Iraq in early August and expanded to Syria in September. Tehran may also be lashing out because of the failure to complete a comprehensive nuclear agreement two weeks ago.
However, Larijanis latest assault was somewhat undercut when he was caught out in a propaganda lie. The Speaker insisted, despite video evidence, that Iran had not pursued aerial operations against the Islamic State in eastern Iraq: Iran has carried out no airstrikes either directly or in collaboration with others because it regards this course as wrong.
However, in Tehran,Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Rahimpour was acknowledging Irans attacks, supporting ground operations to reclaim territory from the Islamic State:
[This was] the defence of the interests of our friends in Iraq.
We will not allow conditions in Iraq to descend to the level of Syria, which has been created by foreign players. And certainly our assistance is stronger than our assistance to Syria, because they are nearer to us.
By EA WorldView
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