Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday accused Israel of backing the Islamic State terrorist group known as ISIS.
“There is no terrorism in the world that matches the activities of Israel,” Rouhani said in an interview with Fox News.
“Those who fight for the freedom for their land and their homes are not terrorists. Those who render aid to Daesh [the Arabic acronym for Islamic State] are terrorists. Israel is the country that takes care of the injured ISIS fighters, and they [Israel] make weapons available to them.”
When asked by interviewer Chris Wallace if Israel was supporting Islamic State, Rouhani answered, “Certainly, undoubtedly. Do you have any doubts? Would you like to see the proof? You should visit Israeli hospitals and see the injured Daesh war fighters, how they’re being taken care of. You should see the weapons captured from ISIS fighters and see that they’re Israeli-made.”
Rouhani, who is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly meeting, also blamed the United States for terrorism in the Middle East.
“Today, America, unfortunately, is the supporter of terrorism in our region—and wherever America has gone, terrorism has expanded in the wake,” he said.
Iran would be open to multilateral talks, said the Iranian president, if the United States would drop its sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
