Latest annual report by US Department of State revealed that Tehran has spent nearly one billion dollars annually to support extreme groups, which serve as its proxies in the region.
The report under the title of “Country Reports on Terrorism” investigated Iran’s contributions to groups such as “Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, the Houthies in Yemen and others.”
The state department has also slammed Iran for supporting al Qaeda (AQ).
“Iran has allowed AQ facilitators to operate a core facilitation pipeline through Iran since at least 2009, enabling AQ to move funds and fighters to South Asia and Syria,” the report said.
Iran has been designated as State Sponsor of Terrorism since 1984. The country’s top military organization, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCs), has also been designated as a terrorist group earlier this year.
Following the designation of IRGCs as a terrorist group, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the commander of the organization’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, is a terrorist and will be viewed the same way as ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.
Soleimani is known as Iran’s top man when it comes to creating the country’s proxies and supporting the extreme groups in the region.
