Iranian official boasts about republic’s interference in region

A prominent Iranian official has boasted that his country interference in Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon and Iraq is in line with objectives to export the “Islamic Revolution” throughout the region.

Hassan Fariuzabadi - the military advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said in an interview with semi official news agency, Fars: “We do not interfere and we do not want to expand our territory”, adding: “what is clear is our system is an Islamic revolution”, referring to Ruhollah Khomeini’s declared aim in 1979 of exporting the revolution.

The former Chief of Staff made reference to military action in Syria and Iraq, where Tehran have deployed advisers in support of Baghdad and Damascus, in addition to supporting militants in Yemen, Bahrain and Lebanon, suggesting it is not interference as defined by the principles of the "Islamic revolution.”

He added: “since the first day of the victory of the revolution Imam Khomeini said we will defend Muslims and the oppressed around the world, and this is the core of the revolutionary, religiously and humanitarian concepts”, according to the news agency close to the Revolutionary Army.

Iran military involvement in Syria has doubled since the second year of the Syrian revolution, an intervention prevented the fall of the Assad regime according to numerous military analysts. In addition Tehran support “Hezbollah”, Iraqi and Afghan militants with money and weapons to fight alongside the Damascus regime.

In an unprecedented statement, Khamenei Advisor revealed in the interview published Saturday, that his country sent, in the past years, military advisers to Gaza strip and trained the “Palestinian forces.”

This article was first featured on Al Arabiya.net in Arabic