WANA (Jan 16) – The Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) strongly condemned terrorist and sabotage acts carried out in Tehran and other Iranian cities that exploited peaceful gatherings, during a phone call with Iran’s foreign minister.

 

On Thursday, January 15, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary-General of the SCO, held a telephone conversation to exchange views on regional and international developments.

 

During the call, the SCO Secretary-General denounced in the strongest terms the terrorist and subversive actions in Tehran and other cities, which were carried out under the pretext of peaceful protests.

 

He expressed sympathy with the government and people of Iran, as well as with the families of the victims of the recent unrest, and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

 

Iran’s foreign minister outlined the recent events in the country, noting that peaceful gatherings had turned violent due to the involvement of trained terrorist elements. He stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran will resolutely defend its national sovereignty and the security of its citizens against terrorism backed by the Israeli regime and the United States.

 

Araghchi also thanked the SCO Secretary-General for his stance in condemning terrorism and foreign interference in Iran’s internal affairs, emphasising the collective responsibility of all countries to cooperate in preventing and combating terrorism.

 

The SCO Secretary-General reaffirmed the shared position of member states on respecting national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, equality, and mutual interests, as well as the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and the rejection of the use or threat of force as a basis for sustainable international relations.