Speaking in his meeting with visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein late on Sat., Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated that the US terrorist attack on martyr Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis was an insult to the sovereignty of Iraq.
In this meeting, the two sides discussed the bilateral, regional, and international issues.
Ghalibaf said the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq are ‘strategic’.
Sovereignty, security, independence, and integration of Iraq has always been emphasized by the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said, adding, “We believe that Iraq plays a very constructive, significant and influential role in the region.”
Ghalibaf went on to describe that the US intervention in the region and the presence of US-backed ISIS terrorists as a threat to peace, stability, and prosperity in Iraq and the region.
Some regional countries, as pressured by the US government, dealt with the normalization of ties with the Zionist regime, he said, adding, “Undoubtedly, the Islamic world should not remain silent towards this heinous act, because, the issue of Palestine is the first and prioritized issue of the Islamic Ummah.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ghalibaf said that the Islamic Republic of Iran always supports Iraq as an important neighboring and Islamic country, adding, “Expulsion of US terrorist forces from the region is one of the most important demands of Iraqi people, government and parliament.”
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, for his part, expounded on some regional and international developments and expressed his hope that Iran will continue its support of Iraq.
He pointed to the timing of US expulsion from Iraq and emphasized the adherence of the people, Parliament, and government of Iraq to maintain the independence and territorial integrity of his country.
He then emphasized the need for strengthening bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq in all areas.
On Jan. 3, former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lt. Gen. Soleimani and second-in-command of Iraq's PMU Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis were assassinated by the US terrorist forces at Baghdad International Airport.
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