Iran Offers Iraq Help in Coronavirus Battle

In a meeting with Iraq’s national security adviser Falih al-Fayyadh in Baghdad on Sunday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said the Islamic Republic is prepared to help Iraq in the battle against COVID-19.

The two officials also discussed a range of issues regarding the bilateral relations between Tehran and Baghdad, including the political, economic and security subjects.

Highlighting the successful experience of cooperation between Iran and Iraq in the war against Takfiri terrorism, Shamkhani warned that the enemies have replaced terrorism with “cognitive warfare” which is a branch of hybrid warfare.

The top Iranian security official also praised the Iraqi Parliament for ratifying a bill on the expulsion of foreign military forces from the Arab country, stressing that the brave Iraqi people and military forces have proved that they have no need of foreign military forces to ensure their security.

For his part, Fayyadh said the strong cultural and social bonds between Iraq and Iran have put the relations between the two neighbors in a unique position.

He finally welcomed the idea of establishing a joint task force on healthcare plans and preventive measures to contain the coronavirus.

Iran’s Health Ministry announced on Saturday that the number of people who have died from the coronavirus in the country has risen to 145 and the total number of confirmed cases to 5,823. At least 1,669 people have recovered from the disease in the country so far.

On March 5, Iraq's Health Ministry also announced its first two confirmed deaths related to the new coronavirus disease.

The number of people diagnosed with coronavirus infection in Iraq has now reached 56.