IRNA - Tehran's interim Friday prayers leader lauded Iran, Russia and the Azerbaijan Republic heads of states' summit in Tehran saying that it woyld lead to further consolidation among the three neighboring states.


“The trilateral summit had many important achievements one of them was that it has demonstrated Iran’s power and it was admitted by both friends and foes of the Islamic Republic,” said Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani.

The summit of the Iranian, Russian and Azeri presidents was held on November 1 (Wednesday) in Tehran by signing a joint statement.

The three countries underlined all parties' commitment to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and stressed the need to increase cooperation in the oil and gas industries.

The first round of talks between President Hassan Rouhani, President Vladimir Putin and President Ilham Aliyev was held in Baku in August 2016.

Addressing Tehrani worshipers at the second sermon of Friday prayers, the Ayatollah criticized the US efforts to label Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

Praising Iranians support for the IRGC forces, Ayatollah Kashani said, “IRGC means the [Iranian] nation.'

He highlighted the inseparable link between the Iranian people and the IRGC forces.

Commenting on Washington destabilizing role in the Middle East, the Ayatollah expressed hope for elimination of US sponsored terrorism in the region.

In its recent act against Iran, the US has put IRGC on its list of terrorist groups. The move has been described by the Iranian officials as ridiculous.

In August, US President Donald Trump gave the go-ahead for imposition of wide-ranging sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea by signing a law known as Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

By enhancing US sanctions against the three countries which was unprecedented over the past five years, CAATSA targets Iran's ballistic missile program, while it prepares the legal basis for sanctioning the IRGC on the allegations of its so-called support for terrorism.

Placing new sanctions on Iran, Washington is defying the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).