Iran: Iraqi government must decide on removal of US forces

Shafaq News / Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani confirmed on Monday that Iranian-Iraqi relations are at their peak and that both countries share a shared vision in the economic and commercial sectors. He urged the Iraqi government and people to "make a decision regarding the presence of US forces."

According to the Iranian Mehr News Agency, Kanaani said in a press conference held at the Iranian Media Exhibition in the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall regarding Iranian-Iraqi relations, "Relations between the two countries are at their best, and the future prospects for both countries are promising," noting that "both governments have a common will in the economic and trade sectors."

Kanaani added that "Iraq and Iran have a common will in the field of security on their common borders, and joint committees are active in implementing the security agreement between the two countries," emphasizing that "the full implementation of the provisions of this document is aimed at achieving the interests of both countries and enhancing security and stability in both."

Kanaani clarified that "his country does not consider the presence of foreign forces in Iraq as helpful to the stability of this country," and added that "Iran fundamentally opposes the presence of foreign forces in the region."

Concerning the deployment of the US military in Iraq, Kanaani stated that "the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people must make a decision on this matter."

Last January, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani sponsored the commencement of the first round of dialogue between Iraq and the US to end the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Secretary of Defense revealed in separate statements that the US and Iraqi officials will start working group meetings of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission in the coming days as part of a planned process both countries committed to last August.

The US confirmed that the dialogue is not connected to recent tensions with Iranian-backed groups.

Notably, in January 2020, the Iraqi parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for the government to end the presence of all foreign troops.

Currently, there are 2500 US troops in Iraq for advisory and training missions upon the demand of the Iraqi government.

After the recent US attacks on the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) headquarters in al-Anbar that killed 17 members and the targeting of a vehicle in Baghdad, assassinating the Hezbollah Brigades's top commander Abu Baqir, many Iraqi officials and politicians voiced concerns over a possible escalation in the region stressing their call for an immediate and total ending of the Global Coalition presence in Iraq.