Commander of US Central Command: I am not supporter of military settlement of Iranian crisis

Read it in Russian

Commander US Central Command William J. Fallon has announced that he is not supporter of military settlement of the Iranian crisis. As a REGNUM correspondent reports, he made the statement in Dushanbe today, after a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov (Rakhmon). The Admiral noted that “the military way of resolving the Iranian problem is the last one.” “As for me personally, I am not a supporter of the military solution. I speak for the issue to be settled via diplomatic means,” Fallon said.

William J. Fallon also added that US key tasks in the region are "securing stability and safety in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Iran can render effective assistance in settling the issues, but has not done anything in this direction,” Fallon noted.

He announced that the USA is interested in developing military cooperation with Tajikistan. “The meeting revealed many news things for us. I have learned that your president served in the fleet too, and seamen do understand each other,” the admiral noted. “We are ready to render assistance to Tajikistan henceforth, first of all, in training soldiers,” Fallon added.

Answering a question on possible use of the Ayni airdrome (15 km south from Dushanbe) by the US Armed Forces, Fallon said he did not know what the airdrome is and the question was not taken at his meeting with the Tajik president. “But I thanked him for giving Tajik air space for the forces flying to Afghanistan not only from the US, but from other countries of the anti-terror coalition,” Fallon noted.