Iranian President Rouhani Condemns Islamic State

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has condemned the Islamic State for killing innocent people. He also said that the group's activities go against Islamic principles.

"They want to kill humanity," he said. "And from the viewpoint of the Islamic tenets and culture, killing an innocent people equals the killing of the whole humanity. And therefore, the killing and beheading of innocent people in fact is a matter of shame for them and it's the matter of concern and sorrow for all the human and all the mankind,", Rouhani said, reports NBC.

Rouhani's comment comes after the recent beheadings of U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State. The militant group had also beheaded a British hostage, David Haines last week.

However, The Iranian President also criticized United States for not using ground forces against the Islamic State militants in Iraq.

"Are Americans afraid of giving casualties on the ground in Iraq? Are they afraid of their soldiers being killed in the fight they claim is against terrorism?" Rouhani said, reports NBC.

 Rouhani also asked whether it was possible to fight terrorism without any sacrifice and hardships. Admitting that airstrikes were needed in certain conditions, he said that they should be carried out only with the permission of the government and the civilians of that country.

Assuring all help in fighting the Islamic state, Rouhani said that Iran will not allow militants to enter religious sites like Karbala and Njaf.

Rouhani also expressed confidence in the cordial relationship Iran shares with U.S.  saying that the friendship between the two counties can solve many problems.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday, criticized U.S. and other countries for refusing to invite Iran to an international conference on Iraq crisis in Paris, reports Reuters.

Zarif  said that the coalition against the Islamic State was actually a coalition of repenters as most of the members had supported it earlier.

He also said that Iran does not want foreign military intervention in the region.