TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran is not trying to establish an empire in the Middle-East and is only seeking to strengthen unity among Muslims, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said, dismissing the recent remarks by former US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger."After the events which were caused by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, the westerners also felt threatened; Kissinger, the veteran US politician, has recently said that 'Iran's threat for the West is more than the ISIL's danger, ISIL is a group and it can be annihilated but Iran enjoys a thought and this thought can make an empire from Iran'," Larijani said, addressing the International Conference of the Muslim Scholars in Tehran on Tuesday.
"There is no reason for Iran to be after growing an empire, the Islamic Revolution's thought is against emperorship and its only concern is the honor of the Muslims and their unity to attain this honor; we are not after emperorship and puppets and dont want to be as such," he said, responding to Kissinger's comments.
Larijani underlined that Iran seeks to strengthen brotherhood among Muslims and wants to awaken them to end the influence of the Zionist streams in the region, adding that the Islamic Revolution is a way to Muslim dignity.
His remarks came after Kissinger claimed that Iran "is a bigger problem than ISIS (ISIL)".
In an interview with NPR that was released on Saturday, Kissinger explained that because Iran has a stronger footing in the Middle-East, it has a greater opportunity to create an empire.
"The borders of the settlement of 1919-'20 are essentially collapsing," he said.
"That gives Iran a very powerful level from a strategic point of view. I consider Iran a bigger problem than ISIS. ISIS is a group of adventurers with a very aggressive ideology. But they have to conquer more and more territory before they can become a strategic and permanent reality. I think a conflict with ISIS important as it is is more manageable than a confrontation with Iran," Kissinger claimed.
By Fars News Agency
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