:Ayatollah Khamenei Tells PM Abdul-Mahdi
Kayhan Int’l
TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi here Saturday that the U.S. is pursuing goals other than a military presence in the Arab country.
"The Americans seek a long-term presence and are after forming a government similar to military regimes in the early days of Iraq’s occupation,” the Leader said.
"Unlike their rhetoric, the Americans consider democracy and the current political system in Iraq against their interests, and hence, the Iraqi government must make sure that U.S. troops leave Iraq as soon as possible,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said like the Americans, Saudi Arabia is also following ulterior motives in Iraq.
"They were sending money and weapons for Daesh when it occupied Mosul and now that Iraq has defeated Daesh, they (U.S .and Saudi Arabia) are expressing friendship.”
The Leader lauded relations between Baghdad and Tehran, saying the Iranian government and nation deem progress and felicity of Iraq as their own.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has always stood by the Iraqis in hard times, the last of which was during the Arab country’s battle with Daesh terrorists.
The premier touched on his talks with President Rouhani, saying good agreements were reached in the areas of railway construction, establishment of industrial towns, development of commercial relations, transportation and dredging of the Arvand river.
"Iraq's relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are special and we have announced that we will never join the U.S. sanctions against Iran,” Abdul-Mahdi said.
Earlier, President Hassan Rouhani called for Iran and neighboring Iraq to expand their gas and electricity dealings and boost bilateral trade to $20 billion despite difficulties caused by U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
"The plans to export electricity and gas and hopefully oil continue and we are ready to expand these contacts not only for the two countries but also for other countries in the region,” Rouhani said after a meeting with Abdul-Mahdi.
In March, the United States granted Iraq a 90-day waiver exempting it from sanctions to buy energy from Iran, the latest extension allowing Baghdad to keep purchasing electricity from its neighbor.
"We hope that our plans to expand trade volume to $20 billion will be realized within the news few months or years,” Rouhani said.
Rouhani expressed hope that work on building a railway linking the two countries, would begin within the next few months.
The railway project was part of deals reached during Rouhani’s March visit to Baghdad, meant to underline that Tehran still plays a dominant role in Iraq despite U.S. efforts to isolate Iran.
The Iraqi prime minister’s visit comes right on the heels of President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Baghdad last month and the two neighbors' pledge to boost the already flowering trade to $20 billion in two years from $12 billion today.
Along with ministers of commerce, foreign affairs, planning, transportation, health and energy, a number of Iraqi parliamentarians as well as 30 representatives of the private sector are accompanying the Iraqi premier.
Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has played a leading role in fighting terrorism and promotion of peace and stability in Iraq as he called for further development of mutual relations.
Enhanced economic, security, trade and oil cooperation will lead to good achievements not only for Iran and Iraq but also for the entire world, he said.
The Iraqi premier also stressed the importance of promoting peace in the Middle East and solving the Yemeni crisis through political means, saying Iraq is firm on countering any threat by any country against Iran.
With a 1,400-kilometer-long joint border, Iraq has turned into a strategic ally and an important trade partner for Iran in recent years.
Iraq's huge energy reserves and a large, diverse market bestow it a special place in the economic equations of the region.
Until two years ago, Iran was Iraq's third biggest trade partner after Turkey and China, but it vaulted to the top place last year with a record $9 billion worth of exports.
Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports to generate as much as 45 percent of its 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily in addition to another 1,000 megawatts imported directly from Iran.
For their run-of-the-mill sustenance, Iraqis also depend on Iran for everything from food to machinery, fruits and vegetables.
A remarkable feature of this close relationship is that much of the blossoming has occurred either in the run-up or after the reimposition of draconian U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Iraq is pushing back on U.S. pressures in what has become a major point of conflict between Washington and Baghdad, the New York Times reported in February.
Observers say the increasingly powerful and mutually beneficial relations between Iran and Iraq will make it all but impossible for the White House to keep the two neighbors apart.
Iraq's President Barham Salih has stressed that his country would not be part of a regime of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran.
"There is no doubt that we will be affected by these sanctions, but it is certain that we will not be part of them,” he said last month.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's visit to Iran also comes after a Saudi delegation traveled to Baghdad to reopen the kingdom's consulate in Iraq.
Saudi Minister of Trade Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi led a business delegation to Iraq as part of efforts to enhance ties between the two nations.
Riyadh has viewed Iraq's proximity to Iran with enmity. This is while Iraqi leaders have repeatedly praised Iran's role in helping the Arab country confront the Takfiri menace.
Iraqi officials have frequently accused Saudi Arabia of aiding and abetting the Daesh terrorist group, which was largely defeated in Iraq and Syria in late 2017.
"The Americans seek a long-term presence and are after forming a government similar to military regimes in the early days of Iraq’s occupation,” the Leader said.
"Unlike their rhetoric, the Americans consider democracy and the current political system in Iraq against their interests, and hence, the Iraqi government must make sure that U.S. troops leave Iraq as soon as possible,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said like the Americans, Saudi Arabia is also following ulterior motives in Iraq.
"They were sending money and weapons for Daesh when it occupied Mosul and now that Iraq has defeated Daesh, they (U.S .and Saudi Arabia) are expressing friendship.”
The Leader lauded relations between Baghdad and Tehran, saying the Iranian government and nation deem progress and felicity of Iraq as their own.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has always stood by the Iraqis in hard times, the last of which was during the Arab country’s battle with Daesh terrorists.
The premier touched on his talks with President Rouhani, saying good agreements were reached in the areas of railway construction, establishment of industrial towns, development of commercial relations, transportation and dredging of the Arvand river.
"Iraq's relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are special and we have announced that we will never join the U.S. sanctions against Iran,” Abdul-Mahdi said.
Earlier, President Hassan Rouhani called for Iran and neighboring Iraq to expand their gas and electricity dealings and boost bilateral trade to $20 billion despite difficulties caused by U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
"The plans to export electricity and gas and hopefully oil continue and we are ready to expand these contacts not only for the two countries but also for other countries in the region,” Rouhani said after a meeting with Abdul-Mahdi.
In March, the United States granted Iraq a 90-day waiver exempting it from sanctions to buy energy from Iran, the latest extension allowing Baghdad to keep purchasing electricity from its neighbor.
"We hope that our plans to expand trade volume to $20 billion will be realized within the news few months or years,” Rouhani said.
Rouhani expressed hope that work on building a railway linking the two countries, would begin within the next few months.
The railway project was part of deals reached during Rouhani’s March visit to Baghdad, meant to underline that Tehran still plays a dominant role in Iraq despite U.S. efforts to isolate Iran.
The Iraqi prime minister’s visit comes right on the heels of President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Baghdad last month and the two neighbors' pledge to boost the already flowering trade to $20 billion in two years from $12 billion today.
Along with ministers of commerce, foreign affairs, planning, transportation, health and energy, a number of Iraqi parliamentarians as well as 30 representatives of the private sector are accompanying the Iraqi premier.
Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has played a leading role in fighting terrorism and promotion of peace and stability in Iraq as he called for further development of mutual relations.
Enhanced economic, security, trade and oil cooperation will lead to good achievements not only for Iran and Iraq but also for the entire world, he said.
The Iraqi premier also stressed the importance of promoting peace in the Middle East and solving the Yemeni crisis through political means, saying Iraq is firm on countering any threat by any country against Iran.
With a 1,400-kilometer-long joint border, Iraq has turned into a strategic ally and an important trade partner for Iran in recent years.
Iraq's huge energy reserves and a large, diverse market bestow it a special place in the economic equations of the region.
Until two years ago, Iran was Iraq's third biggest trade partner after Turkey and China, but it vaulted to the top place last year with a record $9 billion worth of exports.
Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports to generate as much as 45 percent of its 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily in addition to another 1,000 megawatts imported directly from Iran.
For their run-of-the-mill sustenance, Iraqis also depend on Iran for everything from food to machinery, fruits and vegetables.
A remarkable feature of this close relationship is that much of the blossoming has occurred either in the run-up or after the reimposition of draconian U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Iraq is pushing back on U.S. pressures in what has become a major point of conflict between Washington and Baghdad, the New York Times reported in February.
Observers say the increasingly powerful and mutually beneficial relations between Iran and Iraq will make it all but impossible for the White House to keep the two neighbors apart.
Iraq's President Barham Salih has stressed that his country would not be part of a regime of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran.
"There is no doubt that we will be affected by these sanctions, but it is certain that we will not be part of them,” he said last month.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's visit to Iran also comes after a Saudi delegation traveled to Baghdad to reopen the kingdom's consulate in Iraq.
Saudi Minister of Trade Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi led a business delegation to Iraq as part of efforts to enhance ties between the two nations.
Riyadh has viewed Iraq's proximity to Iran with enmity. This is while Iraqi leaders have repeatedly praised Iran's role in helping the Arab country confront the Takfiri menace.
Iraqi officials have frequently accused Saudi Arabia of aiding and abetting the Daesh terrorist group, which was largely defeated in Iraq and Syria in late 2017.
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