In its annual report on terrorism, the US State Department accused Iran of providing a safe haven for senior members of al-Qaeda.
“When you see Iranian fingerprints on so many different terrorist groups around the world, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Iran would also have connections to al-Qaeda,” said Ambassador Nathan Sales, who leads the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau.
Sales told reporters Wednesday that Iran has allowed al-Qaeda operatives to move freely within the country to facilitate the movement of fighters and money into neighboring countries.