An Information Affairs Authority (IAA) Official welcomed US Senator John McCain’s statements about Iran’s role in regional and international conflicts. In an interview with Wolf Blitzer broadcast on CNN , McCain pointed out that the Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States is in keeping with a history of supporting terrorism through organizations like Hizbollah.
The Senator reaffirmed that Iran has been behind terrorist attacks around the world over the last few decades. “They [Iran] are trying to orchestrate events in Bahrain, as we speak,” he acknowledged.
McCain elaborated on the motivation for the assassination plot by referring to the fact that Iran sees Saudi Arabia as an impediment to their own aspirations to spread their influence into the Arabian Peninsula. The Saudis finance a lot of activities in the region that counter Iranian ambitions. He pointed to what has happened in Bahrain this year as evidence of the mounting tension created by Iran’s meddling in the region.
When asked how the United States should proceed with regard to Iranian threats, Senator McCain stated that a combination of covert activities and economic sanctions should be explored and noted the importance of doing so before Iran succeeds in building nuclear weapons.
Senator McCain currently serves as the US senior Senator of the state of Arizona, and is on the following Senate Committees during the 112th Congress: Ranking Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee; Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Committee on Indian Affairs. McCain was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States elections.