Iran Accuses US of "Iranophobia", Arming "Dangerous Terrorists"

The president adds that "the issue of terrorism can not be solved through giving money to superpowers".

Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani today dismissed his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend as "just a show".

During his presidential campaigns, Rouhani pledged to remove USA non-nuclear sanctions on Iran, interpreted as a signal to the Trump administration.

"US wants to restore a certain balance in its ties with Saudi Arabia, OK, but to put Iran and the IS group on the same level is false, illogical and counter-productive", said Thierry Coville, an Iran expert at the French Institute for worldwide and Strategic Affairs. He said Friday's election in Iran that saw Rouhani convincingly defeat hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi had been a message to the world that Tehran was ready for engagement. "I hope it can settle so that we can have a better judgement about those in Washington", said Rouhani. "It will make them (rulers) stronger".

"Who fought against the terrorists?"

The economic and strategic benefits that will accrue to Iran, India, Central Asian republics and Russian Federation would be considerable, to the chagrin of Pakistan and China.

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

"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.

"That the United States wants to restore a certain balance in its ties with Saudi Arabia, OK, but to put Iran and the IS group on the same level is false, illogical and counter-productive", Coville told AFP.

In exchange, the U.S. and the European Union lifted some of the sanctions that have crippled the country's economy. During this year's election campaign, he pledged to secure the lifting of non-nuclear sanctions that remain in effect over issues such as ballistic missile tests and human rights.

The idea is to forge a "US-Israeli-Sunni Arab entente... held together by several objectives they share in varying degrees: destroy ISIS, roll back Iranian influence, and deliver some kind of Israeli-Palestinian peace", Miller wrote.

In comments on Monday, Bahram Qassemi strongly criticized the new USA administration for its "deceitful stances, interfering remarks, and destructive and provocative measures", one day after Trump accused Iran of stoking the fires of sectarian conflict and terror during a trip to Riyadh.