Iran: Airstrikes not enough to eradicate terrorism

The idea of eradicating terrorism by airstrikes is "naive" and it does not suffice to eliminate terrorists, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily on Saturday.
Without the participation of regional states, air assaults will not resolve the terrorism problem in the Middle East region, Rouhani told the 14th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on Friday.
"Fighting terrorism needs organized planning, bilateral and multilateral cooperation and elimination of economic and cultural poverty," the president said, urging regional countries to use their potential to combat terrorism.
Resolution of the issue of terrorism requires an international commitment, he added.
One month after launching airstrikes against Islamic States (IS) militants in Iraq, U.S. President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday that he "will not hesitate to take action" against the IS in Syria and Iraq, adding that Washington will work with its friends and allies to "degrade and ultimately destroy" IS forces.
He noted that the United States will lead a broad coalition to use air power to take out IS forces "wherever they exist," and roll back this terrorist threat which is posed to the people of Iraq and Syria, as well as those in the broader Middle East including American personnel and facilities.