[caption id="attachment_109183" align="alignright" width="210"]
Advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, Major-General Yahya Rahim Safavi[/caption]TEHRAN (FNA)- Top Military Aide to the Iranian Supreme Leader Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said agents of some 17 foreign spy agencies have sought to foment dissent and unrest in Iran's oil-rich Southwestern province of Khuzestan.
Addressing a meeting on 'Sustainable Security in Khuzestan, Today and Tomorrow' in Tehran on Monday, General Rahim Safavi said "17 regional and trans-regional intelligence services affiliated to the Arab and western states" are running operations "in support of ethnic separatist groups to sow discord among the local people" in Khuzestan.
He said "the Arab and European secret services are supporting separatist groups with financial and political backups" to stir unrest through fomenting sectarian strife in the bordering province.
In relevant remarks in January, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underlined that the enemys intelligence agencies were behind the plots hatched against Muslims.
"The hands that sow discord among Shiites and Sunnis are linked to the spy services of the enemies of Islam, said the Supreme Leader in a meeting with a group of people and the delegates who participated in the Islamic Unity Conference Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that the Western-style teachings alleged to be Islamic were in fact against Islam.
The (so-called) Shiism linked to the UKs MI6 is not real Shiite Islam, nor is the (so-called) Sunnism, but they are both are against Islam, the Supreme Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei, meantime, called on the Muslim nations to close ranks and foster their unity.
The Supreme Leader noted that certain Middle East states which were pursuing a hostile approach vis--vis Iran had set foot in the wrong path.
"Some regional countries have based their foreign policies on observing animosity against Iran, but that is a big mistake and contradictory to the rule of sound mind and rationalism," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding, "Establishment of friendly relations with Muslim and neighboring countries is the basis of the Iranian foreign policy."
Also in November 2013, Ayatollah Khamenei urged the Muslim Ummah (community) to increase vigilance as enemies of Islam were hatching plots to stir sectarian strife among them.
A major problem of the Muslim World today is the imposed, intentional and wicked problem of kindling differences among the Muslim Ummah and (Islams) religious sects, Ayatollah Khamenei said addressing Hajj officials in Tehran.
The Supreme Leader said that the global arrogance and colonialist powers were fully experienced in igniting sectarian strife among Muslims, adding, Hajjs capacities should be used for confronting (and defusing) these plots under the present conditions.
The confrontation (that the enemies are trying spark) among the religious sects will not be limited to the Shiite-Sunni confrontation and if the enemies of Islam can institutionalize these confrontations, they will put on their agenda sparking internal differences inside the different Shiite sects and Sunni sects, Ayatollah Khamenei said.
By Fars News Agency
