SAEDNEWS: The Iranian defense minister praised the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States by Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali as a commendable step toward enhancing regional convergence and resist pressure from Western countries.
Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh made the remarks at a meeting with his Burkinabe counterpart Celestin Simpore, held in Tehran on Tuesday.
While the two sides stressed the need to expand bilateral relations and cooperation, Nasirzadeh thanked the government of Burkina Faso for condemning the Zionist regime’s malicious act against Iran in June 2025.
Highlighting the importance of Africa—particularly its independent nations—in Iran’s foreign and defense policy, he underlined Tehran’s principled strategy of developing relations with independent and revolutionary countries in West Africa, especially Burkina Faso.
Brigadier General Nasirzadeh described the developments in the Sahel region, including in Niger and Mali, as popular uprisings against colonial policies, and pointed to the increasing coordination among the three countries through the Alliance of Sahel States as an admirable move in the face of Western pressure.
The Iranian defense minister also referred to continued Western plots aimed at undermining Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and independence, reiterating Iran’s support for independent states.
For his part, Simpore expressed sympathy with the Iranian nation and paid tribute to the martyrs of the 12-day war imposed by the US and Israel, praising the Iranian people’s resistance and saying it had preserved the country’s identity and independence against imperialist domination.
He added that the world could achieve lasting peace if relations of domination among countries were dismantled and greater space was given to justice and peace.
