Iran rejects Al-Qaeda leader presence in country

Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in its Twitter acoount on Thursday wrote, "The global network of al-Qaeda has dismantled after the death of Osama Bin Laden and the organization is no longer in existence but its extremist ideology still persists. The emergence of ISIS has taken the place of Al-Qaeda and has given rise to a new form of terrorism."

"It is worth noting that the address for the so - called newly appointed Al-Qaeda leader is incorrect. This misinformation could potentially hinder efforts to combat terrorism," the mission added. 

Repeating the United Nations baseless claims, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday the US believes al Qaeda leader Seif al-Adel is based in Iran.

A new report from the United Nations, based on member state intelligence, concludes Saif al-Adel “is now the de facto leader of al-Qaeda, representing continuity for now.”

The report claimed that Al-Adel’s leadership “cannot be declared because of al-Qaeda’s sensitivity to Afghan Taliban concerns not to acknowledge the death of al-Zawahiri in Kabul and [al-Adel’s] presence in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

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