The US behaves like international judge, jury and prosecutor, said Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi, University of Tehran. Iran doesn’t have relations with the US and are actual victims of Wahhabi extremists created by the US and Saudi Arabia, he continued.
New York District Judge George Daniels ruled that Iran must now pay $10.5 billion to the families of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Daniels claims that the Iranian government supported the terrorists who carried out those attacks, which led to the death of thousands of people.
RT: Iran wasn't represented in any way during the court hearings, or given the chance to defend itself. So how can this be viewed as a serious case?
Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi: We shouldn’t take the court seriously. The US behaves like judge, jury and prosecutor and they seem to think that they have jurisdiction over the whole globe. Iran doesn’t have relations with the US, and there is no reason why the Iranian government should be answerable to some judge in some US court.
This is the irony of it all – that these terrorists were actually supported by the US in the 1980s. If anyone is to blame for al-Qaeda it is the US and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, people within the [US] government should be put on trial for creating this monster, along with the Taliban and other extremist groups in that country.
At the same time, we see again the current regime in Washington, Obama recreating a similar scenario by helping extremists in Syria over the past few years. As we know, the US defense intelligence agencies document that was leaked last year - or partially released last year – it showed the US supported the extremists in their rise in Syria and Iraq, which ultimately turned out to be DAESH/ISIS/ISIL. So the current administration in Washington – if anything - should be put on trial in the US. But the Iranians, who are the victims of these Wahhabi extremists, they are supposed to pay compensation.
RT: What kind of reaction should be expected from Iran?
SMM: No one in Iran takes [the court verdict] seriously. Everyone here knows that al-Qaeda is extremely hostile towards Iran. The Wahhabi sect is extremely hostile towards Iranians, towards everyone. They believe that you can kill Shias, Christians, and moderate Sunnis. Everyone in the region, even in Europe now – ordinary people – have heard the term ‘Wahhabi.’ The only reason why they have been empowered, whether that is in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, or Yemen is because of Saudi Arabia. But since Saudi Arabia is a key US ally, the US is not going to do anything about it. Western media outlets are going to try not to say too much about it. But public opinion knows more than enough nowadays.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.