Iran not a terrorist state, says Kremlin

By Hakan Ceyhan Aydogan

MOSCOW (AA) - Iran is not a terrorist state and Russia will develop ties with the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks.

“We do not agree with this approach,” Peskov told a news conference following Trump’s comments during a TV interview on Sunday that Iran was “the No. 1 terrorist state”.

“You all know that Russia has good relations of partnership with Iran and we cooperate with that country on a number of issues,” Peskov added. “We appreciate our relations in the trading and economic sphere and we hope for their further development.”

The spokesman said there were a number of issues where Moscow and Washington were opposed. “However, this cannot be and should not be a stumbling block for building communication and pragmatic mutually beneficial relations between Russia and the U.S.,” he added.

Trump has restated U.S. opposition to Iran since coming to office after Barack Obama oversaw the lifting of sanctions against Tehran, which has been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. since 1984.

Relations between Russia and America have also warmed, with Trump praising President Vladimir Putin in the run-up to his inauguration last month.

* Diyar Guldogan in Ankara contributed to this report.