Iran rejects US call for anti-terror co-op

TEHRAN - The Islamic republic has rejected a United States call for anti-terror cooperation, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by Press TV on Wednesday.

"The United States (recently) asked Iran for help in the fight against terrorism. However, we believe the US lacks sincerity (in its anti-terror bid) as some of these terrorist groups are simultaneously supported by the US," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said on Tuesday.

The presence of foreign military troops in the region over the recent years has shown that the military approach toward regional issues not only fails to solve the problem of terrorism and instability, but may even exacerbate the problems, he said.

The presence of terrorist groups in Syria is the result of the wrong policies of the US and its allies, he added.

Iran has incessantly asked non-regional powers, particularly the US and its western allies, to withdraw their troops from the Middle East countries, saying that the regional states are capable of fighting terrorism and establishing security through collaboration.