Iran hails Iraq’s security situation after Daesh defeat
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani expressed satisfaction with the current security situation in neighboring Iraq, which managed to defeat the terror group, Daesh, in late 2017 with Iran’s help.
Larijani made the remarks at a joint press conference with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohamed alhalbousi in Tehran on Wednesday.
The top Iranian parliamentarian said Iran and Iraq enjoy friendly relations in various fields, particularly in politics, economy and culture, Press TV reported.
Larijani further hailed the security situation in postdaesh Iraq, saying, “We are happy that Iraq is today enjoying good security following the tensions caused by terrorist currents in Iraq.”
He also praised joint efforts by the Iraqi Army, senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-sistani, and the government-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-sha’abi, in thwarting Daesh’s terror campaign.
Daesh unleashed a campaign of death and destruction in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes of land in lightning attacks.
Iraqi Army soldiers and allied fighters then launched operations to eliminate the terror outfit and retake lost territory.
Shortly after the beginning of the terror campaign in Iraq, Ayatollah Sistani issued a fatwa calling on all Iraqi citizens to defend their country. Iraq finally declared the end of the anti-daesh campaign in December 2017.
At Baghdad’s request, Iran also provided military advisory assistance to Iraq in the course of its anti-daesh operations.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani is set to pay an official visit to Iraq later this month to boost bilateral ties between the two neighbors amid US sanctions.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Larijani said that he had held talks with Halbousi on developing Tehran-baghdad economic and parliamentary ties as well as on ways to establish sustainable security in the broader region.
Halbousi stressed that Iraq would not allow its soil be used for any aggression against neighboring states.
He further noted that the Daesh terror group could not have been defeated without the help of Baghdad’s friends, including Iran.