IFP - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has dismissed the US Defence Secretary�s baseless claims about Tehran�s support for terrorism as well as the need for a �regime change� in Iran.





Islamic Republic of Iran rejects the baseless and interventionist remarks made by US Defence Secretary James Mattis on �regime change� in the country, Qassemi said in a statement on Tuesday.

Today�s regional and international terrorism and extremism are deeply rooted in Washington�s unconsidered policy of supporting the sponsors of terrorism as well as the Israeli regime�s state terrorism, he noted.

Qassemi categorically rejected the �baseless� and �imaginary� US plot to embroil the Islamic Republic in the assassination case of a foreign ambassador in Washington, saying the US itself was behind the terrorist attack on the ambassador.

�This is not the first time that the US Defence Secretary is accusing Iran and its democratic Establishment of sponsoring terrorism. This comes as the US and its Defence Secretary are the very epitome of terrorism and violation of human rights,� he added.

�The people of the region and the world have not yet forgotten their role in the massacre of innocent Iraqis in Fallujah and Haditha,� he went on to say.

The spokesperson pointed to Washington�s worn-out policy of sowing the seeds of discord between the Iranian nation and government over the past decades and stressed that such ploys are futile.

�The US Secretary of Defence tries to portray the Islamic Republic of Iran as an unpopular government by closing his eyes to the huge and glorious turnout of the Iranians (over 70 percent) in the recent presidential election,� Qassemi said.

Rather, he added, the US supports regimes in the Middle East and the world which have never heard anything about democracy and elections.

Qassemi�s remarks came after Mattis said regime change will be necessary before the United States and Iran could have positive relations.

He further claimed that any potential rapprochement would be difficult because Iran �is not really a democracy�.

Mattis accused Iran of supporting terrorism, and said that the Iranian �regime� was his �biggest problem� when he headed the US Central Command.