Foreign Ministry commented on Pompeo's statements on Iran-Al-Qaeda links

13 January 2021

 

Claims by the US that Iran has become a "haven" for the terrorist group Al-Qaeda* are unfounded, Moscow has no data on Tehran's links with the organization, Zamir Kabulov, the Director of the Second Asian Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told RIA Novosti.


A day before, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of having become a haven for Al-Qaeda, banned in Russia. According to him, the leadership of the terrorist group lives in Tehran and "does everything they did earlier in Afghanistan and Pakistan." He said Iran is "a base for Al-Qaeda, a partner in terrorism and in hatred."


"The impression is that Mr. Pompeo, on the cusp  (of Donald Trump's presidency), wants to do something else to hurt Iran. But this is absolutely unsubstantiated and baseless," Kabulov said, commenting on these words.


"There is absolutely no information," Kabulov said when asked if Moscow had any information about Tehran's possible connections to Al-Qaeda.


* Terrorist group banned in Russia

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

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