In a briefing to reporters Thursday, the Department’s Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Justin Siberell said: "Iran continues to provide support to Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various groups in Iraq and throughout the Middle East."
Despite a final nuclear deal with Tehran and the partial removal of sanctions, Iran continues to use the Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force to pursue its foreign policy goals, according to the report.
In an interview with Sputnik, Iranian political analyst and expert on the Middle East Reza Moghaddasi shared what is behind the claims by the US State Department.
"The US accusing Iran of sponsoring terrorism is the same old story," he said. According to the analyst, there are several reasons behind Washington’s stance on Tehran.
First, the Iranian government has long opposed the idea of US global dominance.
Moreover, by labeling Iran as a sponsor of terrorism, Washington is trying to justify its "perfidy" over the final nuclear agreement between Tehran and the West, Moghaddasi said.
"It’s been six months since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action came into effect. However, the US has achieved no results. It is also trying to prevent Iran from restoring its rights in accordance with the agreement.
"The US needs to justify its unfair policy towards Iran. The recent allegations about sponsoring terrorism are the best way for this," the analyst pointed out.
Finally, another possible reason is advances of government forces backed by Iran against terrorists in Syria and Iraq, especially Daesh. Recently, major advances against Daesh have been made in Fallujah and Raqqa.
"The terrorists sponsored by the US are losing the war. Washington doesn’t want to take responsibility for the ineffectiveness of a US-led international anti-terrorist coalition. This is why Washington is accusing Tehran of sponsoring terrorism," the expert said.
He underscored that despite any allegations the Iranian government will keep its independent political course and economy, countering US attempts to dominate in the region.
US-Iran relations have been strained for decades, following the triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the US-backed Iranian shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was ousted, and Shia cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became the nation's leader.
