TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US is leaving Afghanistan after two decades of “humiliation” following a so-called peace deal between the Taliban and the United States.
“US occupiers should’ve never invaded Afghanistan. But they did, and blamed everyone else for consequences,” Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday.
“Now after 19 years of humiliation, the US has tendered its surrender,” he added.
The foreign minister noted that US military presence has been a source of suffering for Afghanistan and other countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
“It will leave – while leaving a huge mess behind,” he added.
The United States signed the deal on Saturday in a move trumpeted as a stepping stone toward a full withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan and an end to 18 years of conflict in the war-torn nation.
Under the deal, the Taliban will sever ties with Al-Qaeda and other terror groups and sit down for peace talks with the Afghan government. In return, Washington will start a phased withdrawal of troops.
The Afghan government did not take part in talks which led to the deal.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement the US has no legal standing to sign an agreement with the Taliban.
“The United States has no legal standing to sign a peace deal or determine the future of Afghanistan,” the statement said, stressing that only domestic talks can stabilize the war-torn country.
The ministry that the pact is an attempt by the US to justify its illegal presence in Afghanistan.
Iran welcomes any initiative that helps to secure stability and peace in Afghanistan, but that will only be possible through domestic talks and by taking into consideration the interest of Afghanistan’s neighbors, the ministry added.
Deal serves ‘illegitimate’ US goals
On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi the deal does not reflect Washington’s respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
“We do not consider this measure [a sign of] respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty. The Americans took the measure to satisfy their own illegitimate goals. We believe in an all-inclusive agreement with the entirety of the Afghan government,” Mousavi said.
Iran, he said, emphasizes that all courses of action leading to peace in Afghanistan have to feature intra-Afghan consensus and be partaken by all Afghan parties and groupings led by the government.
Mousavi said although the Islamic Republic supports any attempt that would contribute to stability and security in Afghanistan, “we are doubtful of America’s intentions.”
“The United States’ very presence in the region is illegal. They have no right to enter this region and interfere in the regional countries’ affairs,” the official said.
The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of staging a “war on terror” in a move that was followed by the expansion of Washington’s military presence and interference across the region.
The war toppled the Afghan militant group, but it also turned into the United States’ longest conflict in its history, with the Taliban establishing a presence over more than half of the Central Asian country.
Press TV and Reuters contributed to this story.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews