Rouhani to Sunnis: Iran not seeking 'Shiite crescent'
In a speech before the Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani sought to send a message of reassurance to the Arab world that Iran is not seeking a "Shiite crescent."
Amid developments in the Syrian city of Aleppo, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has moved to reassure Sunni Muslims that the Islamic Republic is not seeking to form a so-called “Shiite crescent” in the Middle East. In a speech Dec. 15 before the 30th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Rouhani said, “Both Shiite crescent and Sunni axis are wrong. Shiites and Sunnis are brothers and followers of Islam and the manner of the great Prophet [Muhammad].”
“Fallujah, Aleppo, and all of Iraq and Syria will be liberated from the hands of terrorists in the near future,” Rouhani said. “If the world powers and some dictator and dependent states in the region assume that they can secure their interests and domination in the region via terrorist groups, then they are making a big mistake.”
