US Exit to Serve Iraq’s Stability: Shamkhani

In a meeting with Iraq's national security adviser Qasim Mohammad Jalal al-Araji, held in Tehran on Monday, Shamkhani slammed the US as the root cause of insecurity and organized terrorism in the region.

Stressing the need for the implementation of Iraq’s parliamentary bill on the expulsion of US forces from the Arab country, Shamkhani said the withdrawal of Americans will strengthen stability in Iraq.

He also noted that one of the main priorities in security cooperation between Iran and Iraq is the efforts to prosecute and punish those who ordered and perpetrated the US assassination of top commanders Lt. General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad in January 2020.

The government of Iraq is expected to take more serious action on the terrorist crime considering that it was hosting the senior Iranian general, he added.

Shamkhani further expressed concern about the resurgence of Daesh-affiliated elements in Iraq, saying there is authentic evidence that the US is supporting Daesh terrorists and deploying them to various regions of Iraq with the purpose of fomenting insecurity and securing its continued presence there.

For his part, the Iraqi adviser hailed Iran’s strategic role in ensuring regional stability and security and in fighting against terrorism, calling for closer cooperation with Tehran in various fields.

Araji also affirmed that the US is in contact with the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq, saying that dividing terrorists into good and bad groups and employing double standards in the war on terrorism would only strengthen the criminal role of terrorist currents.

The Iraqi national security adviser has visited Iran at the invitation of Shamkhani for talks on bilateral, regional and international issues.