‘Even one American in Iraq is too many’, Iran’s Khamenei says

Iran’s supreme chief meets Iraqi president, says current safety and financial agreements must be totally carried out.

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s supreme chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has informed Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid that the presence of “even one American in Iraq is simply too many”.

The 2 met in Tehran on Saturday in Rashid’s first go to to Iran as head of state since his election final October.

Rashid additionally held conferences with President Ebrahim Raisi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

“The Individuals aren’t mates of Iraq,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official web site. “The Individuals have friendships with nobody and aren’t even loyal to their European mates.”

Alongside his emphasis on expelling the USA from the neighbouring nation, the supreme chief additionally harassed that Iran considers Iraq’s progress to be of excessive significance to Iran and stated bilateral safety and financial agreements that have been signed final month must be totally carried out.

“There are sturdy enemies for increasing and deepening relations between Iran and Iraq, and if there have been no strong historic and faith-based ties between the 2 international locations, maybe the situation of relations would return to the period of Saddam [Hussein],” he stated of the late Iraqi president who invaded Iran shortly after its 1979 revolution.

Rashid was quoted as saying that his authorities will attempt to deepen ties with Iran and needs to resolve variations.

Earlier within the day, the Iraqi president was formally acquired by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, the place the 2 held talks after which a joint information convention.

Rashid stated that Iraq is not going to overlook Iran’s help throughout robust occasions previously few a long time, and stated the 2 international locations additionally want to concentrate to the problems of water rights and preventing drug smuggling throughout the area.

The Iraqi president additionally welcomed the settlement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to revive diplomatic ties, saying it’ll “strengthen stability and safety” within the area.

For his half, Raisi stated the neighbours will proceed to work collectively on the transport of vitality, and “financial relations between Iran and Iraq will proceed [to grow] till the wants of either side are totally met”.

In late November, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani grew to become the primary senior official from the present administration to go to Tehran, He additionally met Khemenei and Raisi.

On the time, the supreme chief had grilled him on safety points, significantly on Baghdad’s plans to ensure its borders wouldn’t be utilized by these in Kurdish-majority areas to undermine safety on Iranian soil.

Final yr, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used missiles, drones and artillery quite a few occasions to conduct raids on positions in northern Iraq held by Kurdish teams that Tehran considers to be “terrorist” teams.

A lot of the raids got here after protests erupted throughout Iran in September following the demise in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish lady.

Iranian authorities stated on the time that separatist Kurdish teams – allegedly supported by Western powers – smuggled weapons from Iraq and carried out operations in Iran.