Iran's foreign minister challenged U.S. and Iraqi officials to prove their accusations his country is meddling in Iraqi affairs. Kamal Kharrazi, speaking to reporters Thursday during a visit to Syria said such accusations were meant to "evade reality instead of discussing the crisis and trying to find solutions for it." "Those who release accusations should give evidence," Kharrazi said. Kharrazi, who arrived on a previously unannounced visit, held talks Thursday with President Bashar Assad and met with his Syrian counterpart, Farouk al-Sharaa. He told reporters at Damascus airport that the visit aims at continuing consultations with Syria over "the important developments in the region, especially the Iraqi issue." He said the entire region was threatened by the "destructive" events and crises in the Middle East. Kharrazi's next stop is neighboring Lebanon. He travels on Friday to Turkey, another country bordering Iraq.
