The United States of America says Iran was “the most active supporter of terrorism” in 2010. AFP reports that the US has Syria, Sudan and Cuba in its list of states supporting terrorism.
In the US foreign ministry’s annual report on state sponsors of terrorism Iran has been described as the most active sponsor of terrorism in 2010 for its support of paramilitary groups in Middle East and Central Asia.
The US accuses Iran of supporting Hamas, Islamic Jihad, People’s Front for Freedom in Palestine as well as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and its leader. Iran is also accused of supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan and paramilitary groups in Iraq. The report contends that Iran’s support of these groups threatens international support for democracy and economic stability in the Persian Gulf.
Iran has been on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1984.
Iran denies the US accusations and insists that all its international support is to those who have been subject of foreign invasion and are in process of “justifiable self-defence.”
Syria has also been on the US list since 1974 for its support of Palestinian groups and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Sudan has been on the US blacklist due to reports of Al-Qaida activities in Sudan.
Cuba has also been on the US blacklist since 1982 for sheltering ETA members, the Basque separatists group in Spain which is on the West’s list of terrorist groups.
