Israel and ‘takfirism’ are main threats to security, says top Iranian official

Israel and takfiri groups like Daesh are the main threats to international security, a top Iranian official has claimed. The comments were made by the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Shamkhani, in a meeting with Armenian Defence Minister Vigen Sargsyan in Tehran, reported Tasnim news agency.

Shamkhani also alleged that outsiders seek to create and escalate conflicts to increase their presence and interference in the internal affairs of regional countries. They also supply protagonists with arms.

The former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards underlined that Iran will never seek permission from any country or international organisation to boost its conventional defence capabilities. “We will strongly oppose any foreign interference in [our] defence affairs, including the Islamic Republic of Iran’s missile power,” he added.

The new US administration has taken a tough stance against Iran, accusing Tehran of “malignant actions, including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms.”