Iran says intelligence sharing key to war on terror

Iran’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo has called for the creation of enhanced intelligence sharing mechanisms among nations as a necessary move that can help halt the spread of terrorist activities across the world. 

In a Friday address to a subsidiary panel of the UN High-Level Conference on Counter-Terrorism in New York, Khoshroo said UN member states needed more sophisticated initiatives to coordinate their joint fight against terrorism.

“It is essential that the member states strengthen their cooperation at the international, regional, sub-regional and bilateral levels including through enhanced operational and timely information sharing,” said Khoshroo.

The Iranian envoy said such cooperation could boost efforts by governments to prevent the entry of terrorists and enhance security at borders, stressing that it could also prevent the terrorists from using money laundering schemes through banks.

Khoshroo said Iran enjoyed strong working relations with Interpol in the area of exchanging information specifically over the movements of terrorists, adding that this intelligence sharing had already led to “intensified practical arrangements” to ensure security and safety in civil aviation, at borders and in the banking system.

The senior Iranian diplomat further highlighted Iran’s efforts in the area of fighting terrorism, citing a national strategy adopted by the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2013 as a clear example of this.

Khoshroo said all countries were in urgent need of cooperating on the issue of counter-terrorism strategies.

“As our world recognizes no borders, all parts of the world are being more or less threatened by this spreading scourge,” said the Iranian envoy, adding that according to the UN estimates some 25,000 foreign militants from over 100 UN member countries had entered Syria to fight along the ranks of terrorist groups over the past years.