'Iran Represents Threat To The Region' — U.S. Reacts To Tehran's Rhetoric Against Azerbaijan

Washington/11.10.22/Turan: The U.S. State Department on Thursday reacted to the recently increased rhetoric from Iran against its neighbors in the region, including Azerbaijan, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"We’ve been very clear that Iran represents a threat to the region," Spokesperson Ned Price said during a daily press conference.

TURAN's correspondent asked Price about heightened tension between Tehran and Baku in the recent weeks, following Iran's increasing accusations against Azerbaijan — and whether Washington would be willing to defend Iran's neighbors, such as Azerbaijan, should Tehran's rhetoric continue.

"We have important bilateral relationships with all of these countries. You mentioned Azerbaijan. [Secretary Blinken] had an opportunity to see his Azerbaijani counterpart earlier this week," Price said.

He then went on to add, "We will continue to stand with our partners, to support them, and ultimately to stand against the kind of destabilizing influence that Iran presents and – in its region and perhaps beyond."

TURAN also asked the spokesperson about Russia’s security chief's latest trip to Iran, and if Moscow-Tehran cooperation would further embolden Iran both at home, as well as in the region and beyond.

Price responded by saying, "All of this is a concern in the context of the partnership – in some ways the burgeoning partnership – that we’ve seen develop in recent years and in different ways in recent months between Iran and Russia. This is a deepening alliance that the entire world should view as a profound threat".

According to Price, the people of Ukraine "recognize this as a profound threat."

"They are the ones that are facing this threat in very real terms every single day," he said, referring to reports about Russia's using Irainian drones against Ukraine. "But this is a relationship that would have implications, could have implications beyond any single country," he said.

Washington is working with the international community, including at the UN, to address the threats that are posed by Russia and Iran separately as well as the bilateral cooperation between the two of them, including Iran’s dangerous proliferation of weapon systems to Russia, Price said.

"We will continue to vigorously enforce all U.S. sanctions on both the Russian and Iranian arms trade. We’ll make it harder for Iran to sell these weapons to Russia. And we’ll stand with our partners throughout the region against the threat that they face from Iran." he added.

When it comes to Ukraine, Price said, the U.S. will continue to provide Kyiv the security assistance, including the surface-to-air systems, that it needs to confront the threat that it faces from some of these Iranian-made weapons.

As for questions about sanctioning Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader, for human rights violations, Price said, "we are looking at all appropriate tools."

According to him, the Iranian regime is very heavily sanctioned, to say the least.

“There are sanctions for the full array of their nefarious activities, from their nuclear program to their ballistic missile program to their support for terrorism, support for proxies, for their cyber activities, and, yes, for our profound concerns when it comes to Iran’s human rights record," he concluded.

Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.