Ali Akbar Velayati (2nd R), a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and the former Iraqi prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, meet in Tehran on October 23, 2022. (Photo by IRNA)
Tehran, October 24 (RHC)-- A senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the United States must leave the West Asia region as it only seeks to weaken and ultimately disintegrate Muslim countries. Ali Akbar Velayati made the remarks in a meeting with the former Iraqi prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, in Tehran on Sunday, when he touched on plots hatched by foreign enemies, the United States in particular, against regional countries.
“Americans must leave the region [because] they are constantly hatching plots and taking hostile acts with the goal of weakening and disintegrating Muslim countries and sowing discord among the Islamic Ummah,” Velayati said.
A senior Iranian official hails the relations between Tehran and Baghdad as "deep and unique." He also welcomed the Iraqi parliament’s recent election of a new president, saying such an achievement would clear the way for the Arab country “to play an effective role as one of the most important states in the region and the Muslim and Arab worlds.”
Iraqi lawmakers on Thursday elected Abdul Latif Rashid as the Arab country’s new president, who immediately named a prime minister, thus breaking a months-long political deadlock and paving the way for the formation of a new government.
"Iraq is now in its strongest position," the Leader’s advisor said, stressing that Iran and other Resistance Front countries undoubtedly need to reinforce their unity. The former Iraqi prime minister, for his part, said enemies had made great efforts to hatch plots with the purpose of undermining unity between Iran and Iraq.
Abdul-Mahdi described the assassinations of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, senior Iranian and Iraqi anti-terror commanders, as well as prominent Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, as the peak of plots against the two neighboring countries.
The top Iraqi figure commended Iran’s efforts to promote stability and security in the region and said the recent expansion of Iran’s relations with Russia, China and other countries heralds the emergence of a new global order. Iran has become the top power in the region despite enemies’ efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic, he added. “Iran reiterates support for Iraqi government, nation”
Later on Sunday, Abdul-Mahdi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during which the two sides discussed bilateral relations as well as the latest developments in Iraq and the region. Amir-Abdollahian hailed the Iraqi leaders’ efforts to maintain the national unity of the country and the election of the new president by the Iraqi parliament as a prelude to the formation of the country’s new government.
