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.
