Error occured during this request! Please try again later.
Iraq
Iraq's President, Abdul Latif Rasheed (left) meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (right) in Tehran on April 29, 2023. Photo: handout/Iraqi presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a meeting in Tehran on Saturday with the Iraqi president, said that Americans are not Iraq’s friends and the presence of even a single American in Iraq is “too much.”
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid visited Iran for meetings with top officials of the Islamic Republic to discuss furthering cooperation between the neighbouring countries.
In a meeting also attended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Khamenei talked about the American presence in the region, telling Rashid, “The US is not Iraq’s friend. The US is not anyone’s friend, they are not even loyal to their European friends.”
“The presence of a single American in Iraq is too much,” he added.
A statement from Rashid’s office about their meeting highlighted the “close friendship and cooperation between Iraq and Iran,” but there is no mention of Khamenei’s harsh comments regarding the US.
“Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed Iran's commitment to continue supporting and standing by Iraq, in the interest of regional peace and stability and further progress at security, political and economic levels,” read the Iraqi statement.
US forces are on the ground in Iraq at the invitation of Baghdad as part of the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). The current US mission is solely focused on advisory and training and is not involved in combat. There is strong opposition to the US presence, especially among Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.
Iran and Iraq enjoy very close ties with Tehran providing monetary and military support to several political groups and their military affiliates.
The US has been on the outside of recent major diplomatic developments in the Middle East - a restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia and Saudi-led moves to welcome Syria back into the Arab League. Washington was “blindsided” by the developments, according to reports.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid visited Iran for meetings with top officials of the Islamic Republic to discuss furthering cooperation between the neighbouring countries.
In a meeting also attended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Khamenei talked about the American presence in the region, telling Rashid, “The US is not Iraq’s friend. The US is not anyone’s friend, they are not even loyal to their European friends.”
“The presence of a single American in Iraq is too much,” he added.
A statement from Rashid’s office about their meeting highlighted the “close friendship and cooperation between Iraq and Iran,” but there is no mention of Khamenei’s harsh comments regarding the US.
“Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed Iran's commitment to continue supporting and standing by Iraq, in the interest of regional peace and stability and further progress at security, political and economic levels,” read the Iraqi statement.
US forces are on the ground in Iraq at the invitation of Baghdad as part of the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). The current US mission is solely focused on advisory and training and is not involved in combat. There is strong opposition to the US presence, especially among Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.
Iran and Iraq enjoy very close ties with Tehran providing monetary and military support to several political groups and their military affiliates.
The US has been on the outside of recent major diplomatic developments in the Middle East - a restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia and Saudi-led moves to welcome Syria back into the Arab League. Washington was “blindsided” by the developments, according to reports.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment