United Nations – British Prime Minister David Cameron held talks with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday at the United Nations, the first meeting between the countries’ leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The meeting took place at the United Nations as the General Assembly got underway. The British government says a key priority at the largest diplomatic gathering in the world is building broad-based support for the new government in Iraq and international action to confront terrorism in Iraq and Syria.
Western powers are seeking to build support for the fight against the Islamic State group, which holds a large tract of territory in Iraq and Syria and which has beheaded two US journalists and a British aid worker.
The United States and Arab allies launched the first air and sea strikes against IS militants in Syria on Tuesday, expanding the action the US has been leading against the IS in Iraq since the start of August.
Iran, opposed to any US presence in the Middle East, has rejected foreign air strikes in Iraq and Syria.
Britain and France have taken up the task of trying to win some form of other cooperation from Iran against IS.
The meeting came the day Iraqi President Fuad Masum said it was impossible to freeze the Islamic Republic of Iran out of the US-led campaign against the terrorist groups.
Speaking in a Wednesday interview with London-based al-Hayat newspaper, the Iraqi leader underscored the need for Tehrans active involvement in any regional initiative aimed at countering the ISIL.
He said Iran cannot be kept out of the campaign against ISIL terrorists, and that the Baghdad government needs Tehran on its side to fight the terrorists.
Masum further noted that the anti-ISIL fight, regardless of all efforts being made by Iraq and other regional states, will not bear fruit without Irans engagement.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
