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World / Americas

Iran 'biggest state sponsor of terrorism': US Defense Secretary James Mattis

Published: 04 Feb 2017 - 09:22 am | Last Updated: 17 Nov 2021 - 03:14 am
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis speaks while Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada (not pictured) listens during a joint press conference at the defence ministry in Tokyo on February 4, 2017. / AFP / Toru YAMANAKA

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis speaks while Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada (not pictured) listens during a joint press conference at the defence ministry in Tokyo on February 4, 2017. / AFP / Toru YAMANAKA

AFP

Tokyo: US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Saturday that Iran was the world's biggest state sponsor of terrorism, as President Donald Trump slapped fresh sanctions on the country's weapons procurement network.

"As far as Iran goes, this is the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world," Mattis said at a press conference in Tokyo, but he added that the US had no plans to increase troop numbers in the Middle East in response.