TEHRAN, June 28 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian commander on Tuesday slammed the U.S. military presence in the Islamic world for leading to divisions among the nations, prolonged wars, destruction of houses, displacement of people, insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment.
Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), made the remarks in a meeting with Pakistan's Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Nadeem Raza in the Iranian capital Tehran, reported the official news agency IRNA.
Both Iran and Pakistan are suffering from the irreparable adverse impacts of "destructive" U.S. interferences and presence in Afghanistan, the Iranian commander cited.
Under the pretext of combating terrorism, the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001. After 20 years of occupation, the last batch of U.S. troops departed the country on Aug. 30, 2021.
Salami expressed satisfaction with the U.S. retreat from the Islamic world, hoping that Islamic states would regain their independence through self-confidence.
He also said that Iran sees Pakistan's security as important as its own, calling for further enhancement of cooperation in different sectors, particularly in ensuring security along their common borders and fighting terrorism.
Raza, for his part, also blamed the U.S. and Western plots for the divisions within the Islamic world, noting that the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years without managing to establish security in that country.
He emphasized the necessity of intelligence and operational cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in protecting the security of the joint border. ■
