Rouhani: There cannot be stability in Middle East without Iran's help

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives a press conference in Tehran. Photo / AP

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday that stability cannot be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help, responding to criticism of the Islamic Republic from United States President Donald Trump who is visiting the region.

In Saudi Arabia on Monday, Trump called for a US alliance with Muslim countries aimed at fighting terrorism and accused Iran of funding and arming "terrorists, militias and other extremist groups" in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

In Israel yesterday, he said Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer and demanded that Tehran immediately cease military and financial backing of "terrorists and militias".

Rouhani, a pragmatist who won last week's presidential election, hit back by dismissing the summit as a "ceremonial [event] that had no political value and will bear no results".

"Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" he said at a news conference.

Rouhani, who fronted Tehran's deal with six major powers in 2015 to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the US Administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East.

"Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all ... We are waiting for the new US Administration to find stability and continuity in its policies," Rouhani said. "The problem is that the Americans do not know our region and those who advise US officials are misleading them."

Rouhani said Iran was the vital force behind the fight against Isis (Islamic State) in Iraq and Syria and repeated Iran's official stance that the US and Saudi Arabia are funding "terrorism" in the Middle East.

"Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hizbollah and Russia. But who funded the terrorists? Those who fund terrorists cannot claim they are fighting against them," he said.

Tehran and Riyadh are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

Already fragile diplomatic and trade ties between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran were severed last year, after Saudi Arabia executed a Shia cleric and as a result protesters ransacked the Saudi embassy in Iran.

He said Iran welcomed better relations with its regional neighbours and pledged to fulfil his campaign promises of opening Iran to the world and delivering freedoms to the Iranian people.

"The Iranian people voted for moderation as they know a prosperous economy and jobs can only happen through investment, and investment through freedom and interaction with the world," he said.

- Reuters