BAGHDAD/BRUSSELS - The Islamic State group called on Muslims to kill citizens of all countries taking part in the US-led anti-militant coalition by any available means, in a statement posted online Monday.
“If you can kill a disbelieving American or European - especially the spiteful and filthy French - or an Australian, or a Canadian or any other disbeliever... including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him,” said Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the group’s spokesman. “Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military,” he said in the message, which was released in multiple languages.
The European Union boosted security at its Brussels headquarters on Monday even as authorities downplayed reports that militants arrested after returning from Syria were planning to target the building.
Belgian judicial officials said materials which could be used to make explosive devices were found in a raid in the Netherlands but stressed there was no proof of a plot to attack the European Commission building.
The United States and France are carrying out air strikes against IS targets across Iraq and seeking to build an international coalition against a group increasingly perceived as a global threat.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that more than 50 countries have come forward with commitments as part of the coalition, including Egypt and other Arab states. Kerry has raised the threat of militants in Iraq and Syria directly with his Iranian counterpart in high-level talks in New York, a US official said.
Kerry met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for more than an hour at a hotel, during which they discussed progress in nuclear negotiations and “also discussed the threat posed by ISIL,” a senior State Department official said, referring to the Islamic State group.
Adnani’s message - which was released in an Arabic audio recording and transcripts in other languages including English - gave instructions on how the killings could be carried out without military equipment, using rocks or knives, or by running people over.
On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned that any of its citizens “who fight with terrorist groups... will be arrested, prosecuted and jailed for a very long time.”
The Saudi kingdom’s second crown prince said on Monday that Islam had been tarnished by “forces of darkness” and Saudi Arabia should do more to protect its youth from violent extremism.
The comments by Crown Prince Moqren bin Abdul Aziz, in a speech for Saudi Arabia’s 84th national day Tuesday, come after the kingdom this month agreed with other Arab states to back Washington against Islamic State group militants.
Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi opposes the deployment of foreign ground forces in Iraq as part of efforts to combat militants, his office said on Monday.
President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that Iran was a cornerstone of stability in the Middle East in the face of the “terrorists” rocking the region.
“The peoples of the region are defending themselves, and will continue to defend themselves, against the terrorists,” Rouhani said in a speech marking the anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
“The government and armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will help them everywhere,” he pledged.
“Iran is a cornerstone of stability in this sensitive Middle East region... today dominated by unrest, security problems, massacres and fear.”
During a parade to mark the anniversary, the armed forces showed off missiles which reportedly have the range to reach Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy.
Rouhani’s comments came after US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Iran had a role to play in tackling Islamic State militants who have overrun swathes of Iraq and Syria.
Kerry “discussed the threat posed by (IS)” with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in a meeting in New York lasting more than an hour on Sunday, a US official said.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he rejected a US offer to join the international coalition it has been building against the militants.
Like Washington, Tehran has been providing support to both the Iraqi government and Iraqi Kurdish forces fighting IS.
But unlike Washington, Tehran is a strong backer of the Syrian government, not only against IS but also against other rebel groups, some of them US-backed, all of which it regards as “terrorists”.
Rouhani, who is to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday, last week criticised the United States for its refusal to send troops into combat in the battle against IS.
“Are they afraid of their soldiers being killed in the fight they claim is against terrorism?” he asked in an interview with NBC television.
Rouhani on Monday also repeated that Iran would not renounce its rights in talks with the P5+1 nations (Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany) over Tehran’s controversial programme of uranium enrichment.
He said Iran was willing to accept “more transparency ... to create trust and mutual respect”.
But “in civilian nuclear technology we have undeniable rights to develop the country,” Rouhani said. “We will not give it up and will continue on this path.”
Iran and the world powers have set November 24 as the date for reaching a deal on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions that would also see the lifting of sanctions.
Tehran has long denied it is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb, but the West is demanding that it agree to monitoring while scaling back production of fissile material that could be used for bomb-making.