Iran's parliament speaker warns of US attempts to destabilize region

Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Raza Rabbani warned of Washington's attempts to foment insecurity and instability in the region.

"We have common enemies and therefore, our relations should be further consolidated because the Americans are after disturbing tranquility in the region, and terrorism is also spreading," Larijani said during the meeting on the sidelines of the 13th session of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States (PUIC) in Tehran on Wednesday.

"Now Iran and Pakistan should cooperate with each other more than any other time. Of course, assessments of the recent months show that enhancement of our ties, indicating that (we are) moving in the right direction," he added. 

Rabbani, for his part, said that the US has turned Pakistan into its scapegoat given Washington's recent failures in the region, adding, "We have paid a huge price in this area and the US has cut its military aid to us for Pakistan's yes vote to the condemnation of the US plan to transfer its embassy to Quds."

Trump, in a New Year tweet, accused Pakistan of lies and deceit. "They give safe havens to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" he said on January 1.
The incident led to heightened tensions between Pakistan and the US. Later, on January 5, the US announced that it is suspending the transfer of military equipment and security-related funds to Pakistan.

The civilian and military leadership of the country gave a united response to the accusation, dismissing the charges and highlighting Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism.

EA