Exclusive - US cannot stand up to Iran, must leave West Asia: Velayati
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Al Mayadeen Net interviews one of the senior advisors to Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, who reflects on the latest developments in the regional and international arena.
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Senior Iranian international affairs advisor Ali Akbar Velayati
The problem with the Europeans and the West overall is that they believe that the world is unipolar and that the United States is a major power, senior Iranian international affairs advisor Ali Akbar Velayati told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday.
According to the top Iranian official, the only solution to the ongoing problems in the international arena is for NATO to withdraw toward the West and for the world to sit down at the United Nations and discuss the outstanding issues each country has with the other.
"The Americans want to be somewhere that enables them to plunder the resources of other countries, such as the oil they are looting from Syria," Velayati said during an interview for Al Mayadeen Net. "The Americans cannot stand up to Iran, and they must leave this region."
Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei's most senior advisor also commented on the riots in Iran, which he said were "saddening incidents [...] the Iranians have feelings, and they had rational reactions."
Iran overcoming sanctions by heading East
Iran, by heading eastward, mitigated the effects of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the collective West, Velayati explained, "which is a rare occasion."
"You may notice how busy the schedules of the President and Foreign Minister are, with both officials having fruitful business meetings aimed at building and improving the economic, political, and cultural ties. That is evident by Iran joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its developing ties with neighboring countries," the former Iranian foreign minister said.
"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is genuinely a precious opportunity for Iran, as more than half of the world's population is part of it, and it includes the economic behemoth of China. In the SCO, we have direct extensive cooperation with the Russians and the countries of Central Asia," Velayati added.
According to the senior diplomatic advisor, some SCO member states were trying to prevent others from buying oil and gas from Iran, "But the Chinese, who consume the largest amount of energy, were buying oil at the height of the embargo [...] Iran has ties with China that go 2,000 years back."
"Iran is saving 40% of the time and transit fees by pumping oil through the Chabahar Port and Azerbaijan," he noted. "This can be applied to India and other Southeast Asian countries."
"Iran has the best transit conditions in the region, and we have 15 neighboring countries, which makes for a great opportunity. Therefore, Iran compensated for the shortcomings created by the West by heading eastward."
Iran-Saudi relation
"Iran is Saudi Arabia's neighbor, and it has no problems. We must coexist," Velayati explained. "The embassies of both countries must be active in the other because that enables us to solve disputes in a better manner. It is indisputable that due to the exiting respect and needs, it is possible to solve some issues related to viewpoints and opinions."
Iran's ties to the Axis of Resistance countries
According to the Iranian leader's advisor, "Iran is at the heart of the resistance front, and it works side by side with Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. It helped the Iraqis against ISIS, and what happened in Syria was surely unique, therefore, we have friends in the region, and we are by each other's sides."
"The histories of Iran and Iraq are very similar, and there never was a war between us and Iraq. The war waged by Saddam was against the people of both countries, and this act of aggression was not carried out with the will of the Iraqi people," the top advisor underlined.
Moreover, Velayati congratulated the people and the state of Iraq for overcoming hardship, enduring many difficulties, and forming a government.
He also praised the Popular Mobilization Forces' discipline, saying they showed a lot of maturity when the protestors, such as the supporters of the Sadrist Movement, took to the streets. He highlighted how they did not oppose the right to assembly in protection of public interest.
"The people of Iraq lived for a long time under a dictatorship imposed by the Baathist party, and when the Americans came in, no country kicked them out in a manner as quick or influential as the Iraqi people," he recalled. "Iran supports Iraq."
Commenting on Tehran's relationship with Lebanon, Veltayti said, "Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah resisted heroically in a region north of the Red Sea known historically as Clysma. That is therefrom they told 'Israel' that it had no right to violate Lebanon's energy resources."
"I have known Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for 40 years. He has been defending the country in Lebanon's South and North, as well as in the historic region north of the Red Sea. We support Lebanon, and the maritime border must definitely be specified, and 'Israel' must leave Lebanon's maritime area," the top Iranian advisor added. "Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's decisive and unwavering stances have garnered great admiration among the peoples of the region and the Islamic World."
"At the other end, in the south of the Red Sea region and south of the Bab Al-Mandab strait, there is the leader of the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi. With him, there are freedom fighters who have really close ties to Iran. We are helping Sayyed Al-Houthi, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, among others," the former Iranian diplomat underscored.
"The Axis of Resistance has nearly achieved supremacy in the region, and the interaction and communication between the components of the resistance front are very good as the Westerners are divided. They are forcibly sitting side by side, but we and the people of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestine are like brothers, and this is highly valuable."
"The United States is pressuring countries to normalize ties with the Israeli occupation, and all the plans and projects developed around Palestine and the Zionists poured in Israel's interest. From Camp David, Madrid, Oslo, Washington, Camp David-2, and worst of all, the Aqaba Agreement and the Abraham Accords," Velayati explained.
"It is clear that some of these states are not in charge of the decision-making process, and others are taking their decisions for them. They do not enjoy independence. Independence means to have authority, which they do not possess," he stressed.
The former Iranian Foreign Minister and the advisor to Iranian Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei concluded by saying: "Luckily, the Islamic World and freedom-loving countries do not seek these acts, and they want the freedom of Al-Quds."
"We are certain that the great Islamic renaissance started by the great leader of the revolution, Imam Khomeini, and continued under his successor, Sayyed Khamenei, will continue. Its most notable achievement is creating a resistance front that stood strong, and will soon work with all the free Muslims of the world to liberate Palestine from the hegemony of the brutal Zionist entity and its occupation."
