TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday hit out at Israel for supporting terrorism, saying the occupying regime is complicit either covertly or overtly in almost all crises gripping the Middle East.
"Today, it happens rarely for the Zionists not to have a hand, either behind the scenes or openly, in rifts among regional countries,” Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting.
Wounded terrorists receive treatment in Israeli hospitals, he said, adding Tel Aviv also arms terrorists and carries out bombings to prop them up.
"It is clear that they (Israelis) support terrorism in the region,” President Rouhani said. "Undoubtedly, the split between regional countries and the Muslim world, such as the ones between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Turkey eventually benefits global Zionism and usurping Israel.”
Rouhani said Zionism could be contained in the region if the Muslim world unites and resolve their rifts. The Islamic Republic, he said, would not allow terrorism to spread in the region, warning the terrorists and their masters against attempts to drag the scourge into Iran.
He was apparently referring to remarks by Saudi Defense Minister Muhammad bin Salman, who said last month that Riyadh would work to move "the battle” to Iran.
Rouhani referred to Iran’s recent retaliatory missile strike on Daesh terrorists in Syria, saying fighting terrorism is a decision made by the whole Iranian nation.
The president reaffirmed that Iran’s missiles are for defensive purposes, saying the country seeks no permission from anyone to boost its defense might.
Rouhani also touched on an anti-Iran sanctions bill passed by the U.S. Senate last week, saying the new officials in Washington have made wrong calculations if they think they could pressure Iran with congressional measures.
The bill calls for sanctions on Iran over its missile program among other things.
Rouhani said the U.S. has hatched different plots against Iran over the past 40 years. The new U.S. administration, he said, should know that the Iranian people would not remain silent and would give an appropriate response to any threats.
On Tuesday, Rouhani said the Islamic Republic will respond "more decisively" to any future terrorist attack on Iran's soil.
The president said the recent attacks in Tehran were not the first attempts by terrorists against Iran, adding the intelligence ministry and armed forces have reacted accordingly and have been able to foil tens of such attacks in the past.