TEHRAN: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi criticized the United States’ (US) presence in the Middle East during a joint news conference with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Saturday.
Raisi said that the presence of foreign forces and foreigners in the region was not useful and that the US disturbed the security of the region.
The US has had a presence in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion, which toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Both Iran and the US have vied for influence in Iraq, and both helped Iraq defeat the Islamic State group.
The US still has 2,500 non-combat troops in Iraq to provide advice and training, while about 900 US troops remain in Syria as part of a US-led coalition battling remnants of IS. The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is also based in the Gulf state of Bahrain.
Iran-Iraq relations
“Our relationship with Iraq is based on mutual interests,” Raisi said, adding that the “Americans think about their interests, not the interests of the countries in the region”.
Despite fighting an eight-year war in the 1980s, Iraq and Iran have warmed relations since the 2003 invasion. Iraq has become a crucial economic lifeline for the sanctions-hit Islamic Republic, while Iran provides Iraq with gas and electricity as well as consumer goods.
During the news conference, Raisi emphasized the importance of Iran’s cooperation with Iraq in security, trade and other matters.
“Relations between Iraq and Iran will continue in the field of electricity and water infrastructure,” he said. “A security understanding has been established between the two nations, and the security of Iraq and its borders is very important to us.”
The criticism of the US by Raisi comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the US over the nuclear deal.
The US withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which has responded by gradually violating the terms of the deal. Talks to revive the deal have been ongoing, but progress has been slow.
