Terrorism spread in Europe if Soleimani not stopped ISIL

He made the remarks in a meeting with a group of foreign policy scholars on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Raeisi pointed to the US terrorist action in the assassination of the Martyr Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, saying that Iran considers the former president of the United States [Donald Trump] as a criminal and a murderer [who ordered to assassinate Gen. Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020].

He [Trump] martyred Qassem Soleimani, the hero of fighting against terrorism and ISIL in the region.

The President also pointed to the confession of US leaders in the formation of ISIL, saying that they officially announced in the US election debates that the US formed ISIL. 

He emphasized that terrorism would have spread all over Europe if it were not for General Soleimani's efforts.

Raeisi also named the US as a war-loving country, saying that it has spent only 20 years without war in the last 250 years.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the President also spoke about the recent prisoner swap between Iran and the US, saying that describing US prisoners as "hostages" is not true and all of them have committed crimes.

Referring to the sanctions imposed against some countries including Iran, Raeisi said that sanctions are a weapon against nations like a military attack.

Despite the claims that medicine and food are excluded from the sanctions, the US sanctions against Iran led to the death of children with butterfly syndrome, the Iranian President went on to say. 

He underlined that Iran will judge the US based on its actions, saying that Iran can trust in [the US] if Washington changes its coercive behavior and acts on the basis of commitments, which it [the US] has not succeeded in so far.