Leader's Aide: Iran, Russia, China Not Relying on Outsiders, Standing Against US Hegemony
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Supreme Leader's top adviser for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati hailed growing cooperation among Iran, Russia, and China, and stated that the three independent powers are standing against the US and Western hegemony against the East.
In an interview with the office of Ayatollah Khamenei’s website, Velayati defended Iran’s ‘Look to the East’ policy, and said the three powers work together based on a set of shared goals.
He referred to a decades-long record of America’s ill-intention in dealing with the Iranian nation, and explained why Tehran should not count on the West, and work instead to strengthen ties with the Easterners, with which it shares many commonalities.
When Iran and the US reached a nuclear deal in 2015, Washington went on to ditch that agreement “without any justification”, and openly showed enmity toward the Iranian nation, Velayati continued.
In turn, the European states are increasingly submissive to US policies and unconditionally follow in its footsteps in foreign policy, Velayati noted.
On the contrary, he stated, Russia and China offered Iran a helping hand in tough times.
“Under such circumstances, how is it that some simple-minded people argue that we should turn to the West? Which West?! The ones that have constantly been spreading fake propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, exert political pressure on it, and leave no stone unturned to undermine the Islamic Republic under US pressure and based on the sheer lies of Zionist hawkers,” he added.
The former Iranian foreign minister stated the reason behind Iran’s inclination toward Russia and China is that the three states engage in interactions when it comes to cooperation and offering assistance to one another.
"All the three are standing against the US and Western hegemony against the East, while they are independent and do not rely on any outsider," Velayati continued, noting, “The three countries have the support of their nation.”
Velayati was also asked for his views on a trilateral summit between Iran, Russia and Turkey held recently in Tehran, with the presence of Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the Syria peace process.
Following US President Joe Biden’s “fruitless and abortive” visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia, the Tehran summit “sent an important message and showed that ties among Iran, Russia and Turkey are original in nature and are growing", he stated.
He said visiting US presidents usually look down on regional nations arrogantly.
Leaders of America and the UK have “a never-ending demand” from regional nations and that is offering their oil to the West for free and support the Israeli regime, he added.
“It was clear from the start that [Biden’s visit] will be fruitless since [US presidents] have not been successful in shaking the nations down,” he underlined.
On the contrary, in the Tehran summit, “no country gave orders to others, but the three cooperate with one another while [preserving] their dignity and power”, he underscored.
On The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Velayati stated Russia decided to wage war on Ukraine only when NATO reneged on its promises to the ex-Soviet Union that there would be buffer zone between their borders.
He pointed to Ukraine’s inclination toward the Western military alliance and a 2014 coup in the country, which toppled a legitimate government and installed instead a pro-West administration there.