Iran said Monday that the United States has shown its “support for terrorism” by carrying out air strikes on forces in Iraq that have dealt blows against the Islamic State group. The Pentagon said on Sunday that it targeted an Iran-linked militant group in western Iraq and eastern Syria in response to a barrage of rockets that killed a US civilian contractor two days earlier. “With these attacks, America has shown its firm support for terrorism and its neglect for the independence and sovereignty of countries and it must accept consequences for its illegal act,” he said in a statement. The spokesman said the presence of foreign forces in the region was the cause of insecurity and tensions. US-Iran tensions have soared since Washington pulled out of a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran last year and began reimposing crippling sanctions.

Source: The Guardian December 30, 2019 09:22 UTC